


Puer Noctis

by TricksterCrow



Series: The Noctis prevails [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Character Death, Child Abuse, Dark Fred Weasley & George Weasley, Faerie Character, Faeries - Freeform, Harry wants a hug, Hogwarts Inter-House Friendships, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Master of Death Harry Potter, Morally Grey Harry Potter, Other, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood Harry Potter, Ron Weasley Being an Asshole, Sane Voldemort (Harry Potter), Slytherin Harry Potter, Smart Harry Potter, The dursleys being the dursleys, asshole marauders, the fae are angy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 102,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28083186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TricksterCrow/pseuds/TricksterCrow
Summary: Death was never the true end for Harry Potter, but rather, a beginning for a new cycle of life. It was something that Death was aware of since their existence. Death was indifferent, lacked empathy, and only lived to gather souls. Yet every time the entity was forced to watch the boy die their indifference began to crack. They were somehow attached to the child.In every timeline the kid was killed in some way. And every time they would end up meeting death. Harry could be male, female, neither, or in between. They could be human, or creature, even animal. But in the very end they would find themselves at death's door, asking to have a cup of tea, or perhaps asking questions the entity has heard many times before. Including this very instance.~~~~~~~~~Chapters will be posted once or twice a week.Book 1: Complete (Puer Noctis)Book 2: Currently in process of being writtenBook 3: Still mapping it outBook 4: Not even thought of yet
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: The Noctis prevails [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057349
Comments: 61
Kudos: 269
Collections: The Harry Potters





	1. A new beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to post this months ago... But uh, I've been very nervous to do so and I kinda maybe had a panic attack before posting. So um enjoy I guess...

Death was never the true end for Harry Potter, but rather, a beginning for a new cycle of life. It was something that Death was aware of since their existence. Death was indifferent, lacked empathy, and only lived to gather souls. Yet every time the entity was forced to watch the boy die their indifference began to crack. They were somehow attached to the child. 

In every timeline the kid was killed in some way. And every time they would end up meeting death. Harry could be male, female, neither, or in between. They could be human, or creature, even animal. But in the very end they would find themselves at death's door, asking to have a cup of tea, or perhaps asking questions the entity has heard many times before. Including this very instance. 

Harry stumbled through the veil, the oldest they had ever lived, thirty-seven years old. Chiseled jawline, dull green eyes, toned chest, unkempt hair. Harry died a man in his late thirties, with two children, and a bossy wife. Death grumbled and checked off their mental list. Death number seven-hundred-forty-two. The boy looked up at him confused before realization set in. 

“Death,” he said “how did I die?” Death let out a sigh.

**“Killing curse to the back, you didn’t notice the person stalking you, not with your son complaining about his sorting.”** they drawled. Harry rolled his eyes and sat down in the chair across from the entity. 

“So he watched me die.” Harry cringed. Death nodded slowly before taking a sip of tea. Harry looked at him oddly. “I will never get over how you look.” he said.

**“I don't believe anyone will. You humans are very creative in your portrayals of me.”** The being said thoughtfully.  **“I find it quite amusing.”**

“I wonder if I should continue this game of ours.” Harry said suddenly. Death raised a brow in question. “I have yet to live an entire lifetime without being killed. I’m beginning to wonder if the fates have it out for me.” Death chuckled at that. 

Harry looked into the doorway to the next life, then he stared at the doorway to the afterlife, both very tempting in their own ways. Death watched in amusement as the boy contemplated his options. 

**“If there is a timeline where you live, I would very much like to see it.”** Death said honestly.  **“I find myself longing for a happy ending for my Master. One can only watch a single soul die over and over for so long.”**

Harry smiled at the entity, so different from the one he had initially met, different from the cold, emotionless, lifeless husk. The masters before him never lasted this long. Reliving life only a few times before giving up and moving on. But he refused to give up on his happy ending. 

“Perhaps we can agree on an arrangement.” he looked at the entity “You spoke of your children. Those who you blessed at a young age, to help others pass on.” Death's eyes lit up. “Perhaps I could be one of those children.”

**“And would you keep your memories?”** The entity asked. 

“No, I should think not, I would already be too powerful. No need to send me back as some sort of god.” Death snorted and nodded. Harry finished the last of his tea and stood up. “I’ll see you on the other side, old friend.” Death smiled as Harry walked through the open doorway to his next life

* * *

October thirty-first, All Hallows’ Eve, the day the veil is closest to the living realm. The night was young, and for most, it was peaceful. But for the Wizarding world, war was waging. Unbeknownst to many the war would finally end the same night. But alas the ending would bring with it the birth of a new danger. A waking of magic in which could be the destruction of everything or the protector of their home. 

A prophecy was spoken long ago between the Fae. An ancient curse was forced upon a child of light to endure the darkest of days. That child would be forever called The Puer Noctis. A child who could see that in which most could not. A child that is said to be able to speak the ancient language of the Fae. But that was all it truly was, a child. 

The Fae, creatures beyond the veil, were prepared for this night. They had waited for hundreds of years, and finally the night had come. They would wait for the child to be left alone. No one would be allowed to witness them as they bestowed their gifts to the child. Lest they die by the wicked hands of death themself. 

So they waited with baited breath. They watched the scenes of the night with a morbid curiosity. They watched as a man cursed to live forever killed the parents of their Puer Noctis. They watched as the curse of death backfired onto said man and destroyed what was left of his soulless body. The danger was over and now the curse had begun. 

They followed the child wherever he went and watched as he was placed on the doorstep of a plain looking house. The large man —a half giant one of the Fae had supplied— bent down and placed a note onto the child before quietly knocking on the door. The man turned away and quickly exited the area. 

The Fae wasted no time to gather around their cursed child and gaze upon that of which could kill them without issue. A small babe with pale skin, dark hair, and bright green eyes met their gaze. The child smiled and reached out to the nearest Fae.

The queen of the Fae Titania crouched down and held the child’s hand with a soft smile gracing her features. Her husband Oberon stood next to her, his imposing figure relaxed, and he smiled as well. The child babbled making the rest of the Fae slump in relief. No one else would die tonight it seems.

“My Puer Noctis, how you have the most beautiful eyes.” Titania spoke softly. “Perhaps it is a blessing that has been put upon you instead of a curse.”

“Perhaps, but we should not doubt the Oracle for she has never lied before.” Oberon replies smoothly. Titania only nods before placing her hand upon the child’s head. A light green glow surrounds the child making it giggle excitedly.

The rest of the Fae gather together and link their hands to form a large semicircle around the child. The hum of magic surrounds them and as they gaze upon the child it links them together. The feeling of shared magic enters their minds and they all grin excitedly. Titania stands suddenly turning around to face her children. 

“I call upon two witnesses for tonight’s blessings.” She says in a regal flourish. “May Fulgur stand before us and bare witness?” The crowd parts only momentarily as a male elf makes his way to the front of the crowd. Titania nods in approval “and may I call upon death as my second witness?” 

The crowd gasped in unison and looked upon their Queen with surprise. Death has not been called upon for a millennium as the right was stripped away after their last Queen attempted to become immortal. So they held their breath and waited to see if the creature would show. Perhaps it wouldn’t and instead ignore them out of spite.

After waiting for a few timeless minutes they felt that it would not show and sighed. But then to their surprise a dark cloth form swirled above the babe. It came to a slow halt and a large bony hand made its way out of a long black sleeve. The hood covered the creature's face but the eyes glowed a menacingly bright green in the darkness. 

Death looked from the babe to their queen for a moment before backing away and bowing low. The creature had given its approval to their queen, and despite the fear among them, the fae relaxed. Titania nodded to the creature in thanks and bent down to grab the child from his basket. She held him close to her chest and placed a gentle kiss to the child’s eyes.

“The first blessing I will gift this child” she began “is the gift of sight. So that he may never be caught by those who wish to hide from him.” She finishes and a ring of gold surrounds him. Then she places a kiss on his forehead.

“The next gift I bestow upon him is Occlusion, so that those who may pry will never see his thoughts unless freely given.” She looks down into his eyes as another ring forms. “and finally, the blessing of the empath. So that he may know when someone is hurting or untruthful.” The final ring forms. She goes to give him a final kiss but before she can another ring forms.

Death is above them looking down on the child. It floats down to meet them and touches his hand to the babes chest. It’s voice croaks out in a chilling song, as if two voices were speaking as one, both quiet and loud.

**“The gift of shadows. So that he may never find himself alone.”** The creature says. They meet gazes and both nod, an unspoken agreement that only they knew the contents of. Titania leans down and kisses the babe one last time. 

The golden rings around the babe shrink and condense to form one smaller thicker ring. The ring places itself on the baby's right arm and solidifies into his skin. Death takes its hand off of the child and floats away. Titania leans back down and places the child back into his basket. 

The queen stands back up and looks at death before bowing low. The creature looks at her for a few moments before returning the gesture and dissolving back into the shadows. She turns toward the crowd and smiles. Then she looks at Fulgur and gestures for him to come forward. Once he does come forward she holds his hands in her own.

“Fulgur dear, I must ask you to do me a great favor.” She says quietly. “I need you to watch over the child. You don’t have to do much, just make sure he is safe. I do not trust the humans to not hurt him.” Fulgur makes a face and she sighs “I know they aren’t all bad but some of them are rather brutish so I’d rather be safe than sorry. You don’t even have to stay here everyday, I would not force you to abandon your home just to watch him, but please be vigilant for just a few days before running off.”

Fulgur gives her a blank stare before nodding. She sighs in relief and pulls him in for a hug. She places a gentle kiss atop his head before pulling away and grabbing her husband's hand. They begin to walk away with the rest of the Fae but then Titania stops and clearly says.

“And Fulgur, please don’t cause any unnecessary trouble for him, he’s only a child.” With that the rest of the Fae dissolve into a light mist leaving the last of their group behind. 

Fulgur sighs and leans down to look at the child. The lightning shaped scar on his forehead catches his attention and Fulgur shakes his head whilst chuckling. Perhaps this wouldn’t be such a bad job. He stands up again and knocks loudly on the door to the house. Making sure that they come to get the child he listens for movement. 

When a loud curse comes from inside the house he turns away and in a poof he’s out of sight. He watches as the door opens and a robed woman steps through the door to look around. When she looks down he hears a gasp and the woman picks up the child holding him to her chest. She reads the note and squints in contemplation before shrugging and taking the child inside. 

Once the door shuts Fulgur releases a sigh of relief, then gracefully he makes his way up into one of the trees behind the house. Hopefully he won’t have to wait too long before he can return home. Just a few more days and then he can relax once more in the comfort of his bed. He almost startles as a dual voice speaks to him. 

**“Fulgur LeFay, how interesting it is to see you here.”** death says from the shadows. Fulgur swallows the lump in his throat as his eyes catch the menacing glowing green eyes of the creature.  **“I have a very special task for you child.”** Fulgur blinks in confusion. What could a being such as death need him for? 

Death stares at him, into his soul, he can feel its penetrating gaze judging him. Looking into his past, present, and future. The being chuckles at his frazzled state. Does death find this funny? Does death even have a sense of humor? It wasn’t something you typically think to ask yourself but at that moment Fulgur was thinking it. 

**“Your queen has tasked you to watch over the boy, I ask that you do the same, but more specifically I ask that he not die until the age of thirteen”** Fulgur’s eyes widened at the request. Why would the being be worried that the child would die? Is there something death knows that he does not? ** “I sense your curiosity and can only answer you this. The boy is important to me.”**

“Then why not look after him yourself?” The words are out of his mouth long before he comprehends that he’s speaking. Almost instantly an icy cold breeze washed over him. The feeling of loathing surrounds him as the shadows grow darker. Death is angry and it is a miracle Fulgur is still alive after being nearly frozen over. 

Multiple growls of varying pitches echo around him as death responds  **“I am not allowed to cross the veil into the living realms. I was forced to stay away by those who feared me, feared my children, they would never harm you, Yet those monsters hunted them down, killed as if they were pigs to the slaughter.”** But that didn’t seem right, death had been there to bless the boy, so if they’re trapped then what was watching over them?

**“My true body lies beyond the veil, what you saw was only an illusion, you need not worry that the blessing did not work. I witnessed it just as you did. I am death, I see all, I know all, and no one escapes my grasp.”**

Suddenly the shadows lifted and the voices dispersed. Death was nowhere to be seen, as if they had never been here. Fulgur hadn’t even agreed to watch the child, yet somehow he was certain, death already knew his answer from the start. Fulgur wasn’t able to sleep that night, plagued by thoughts death had planted into his head. 

Who had forced death to leave the living realm? Who were the beings' children? And what did the Puer Noctis have to do with any of this?


	2. A hissy introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was always something Harry particularly liked about snakes. They were quiet and peaceful creatures that preferred sunny days and warm rocks. They only ever attacked if they felt threatened and honestly that was a mood. So who wouldn't take the chance to talk to one?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chose to post the first 2 chapters since they're so short. Hope you enjoy!

Harry Potter, or rather Harrison James Potter, has lived on number four Privet Drive for at least six years of his life. Well ‘lived’ isn’t exactly the way he would phrase it but it’s close enough. Rather he had not lived but instead _ survived _ in the place. Everyday for him was like a dangerous adventure. 

Normally when you’re forced to live with your relatives they are kind and welcoming. But for Harry that kindness never reared its head in his direction. Instead he got disgust and loathing. He never knew why his life was the way it was but he didn’t complain. 

To him life was normal, he had food, clothes, an education, and a roof over his head. For him that was all he needed since they’d never give him anything else anyway. His cousin on the other hand got everything he wanted. And despite the jealousy that Harry felt about his cousin, he never did much to remedy it. No matter how much he just wanted to punch his cousin he refused to be consumed by anger.

Oh no, anger from him wasn’t allowed in this house. He learned that a long time ago when his uncle beat him till he was black and blue just for yelling. That was something he’d come to live with as well. If he did something wrong he would be punished. A snarky comment? A hard slap to the mouth. Burned the toast? A hot pan to the hand. Accidentally snipped a flower head off of one of Aunt Petunia’s flowers? Whipped with uncle Vernon’s belt. 

He had to be perfect in this house if he wanted to survive. If he was anything but, then he’d be locked in his closet for days, unable to eat, read, or use the loo. So here he was, perfect Harry Potter making breakfast for the Dursley’s on his own birthday. 

Aunt Petunia had woken him up early with an irritated voice and a loud bang on his door. He nearly hit his head on the stairs above him in his rush to get out. Now he was standing over the stove on a chair that barely held him up. He gently flipped the bacon in the pan not wanting it to splash hot oil at him. He learned a long time ago that hot oil on your face hurts. 

He rubbed the scar under his eye gently at the memory. He was standing on his old chair when it creaked under his weight. He had his hand on the handle of the pan to keep it steady as he stirred things around in it. Then suddenly the chair had given out from beneath him and he fell pulling the pan with him. The oil splashed onto his face and shoulder making him cry out in pain. 

Petunia had rushed in to help him then, grabbing a washcloth and wetting it with cold water. She pressed it to his face then went to grab some ice. And the pain numbed considerably. She was nicer then, but that was before he had woken up the next day. When he came to, the pain in his face and shoulder had disappeared. He was so excited that he felt better yet he hadn’t even known why.

When she opened his door to see why he had been so happy she dropped the basket of folded laundry to the floor. His wounds had all but disappeared. They were healed over leaving a couple small scars that contrasted lightly with his skin. She had called him a freak then and continued to do so to this day. Before, she had called him Harrison, but now he was either ‘Freak’ or ‘boy’. 

He sighed and continued to cook the bacon snatching a piece for himself and eating it when petunia wasn’t looking. Luckily this time Dudley hadn’t noticed. Last time he did was a train wreck. He rolled his eyes and turned off the stove then plated breakfast for the Dursley’s. He set the plates down on the dining table then cleared his throat to get his aunt's attention. 

Petunia turned and looked at the plates as if she was expecting some kind of poison to be visible on them. She looked back at him then nodded in approval.

“The roses on the side need pruning, don't ruin them or else it’ll be your hands. Then the agapanthus needs more fertilizer.” She says sternly. 

Harry nods and makes his way outside and over to the yellow roses to the side of the house. They were by far the only flowers that he liked around here. The agapanthus surrounding the yard were much too blue for his liking and he just wanted to cut them up but Petunia would have his head if he did that. 

Sighing, he opens the shed and grabs the shears, foregoing the tempting gloves laying on the workbench. Petunia banned him from wearing them long ago. He grabs a bucket as well to put the dead bits in and trudges back to the rose bush. He gets one good look at the plant and slumps a little. The roses looked almost completely dead and the wilted leaves were turning brown.

He taps his finger against one of the rose heads and frowns as it drops lower. He picks up the shears and goes to grab the rose when he notices it. The slightest hint of light is emanating from the rose head before traveling down the stem and spreading throughout the rest of the bush. Suddenly half of the roses perk up and bloom. Only a few are left struggling. He blinks in surprise and looks at his hands in wonder. 

A hissy sounding laugh catches his attention and he looks down to see a small snake looking back at him. The snake laughs again when he jumps at the close proximity.

_ “Did you just laugh at me?”  _ He asks the snake curiously. The snake looks at him and slithers forwards a little.

_ “A speaker? What a surprise to find one here. Yes speaker, I was laughing at you. You looked surprised to see the magic you conjured.” _ The snake replies. It slithers out into the sunlight. The snake was black but in the light, a purple hue could be seen scattered across its body. 

_ “Magic? Is that what I did?”  _ Harry asks confused  _ “and you called me speaker, what does that mean?”  _

The snake slithered up to his knee and placed its head there. It seemed to contemplate an answer for a moment before making a nodding motion with its head,

_ “I did call you speaker and for good reason. Only those who speak the snake language can understand us. And most of the people who can are either wizards or people born with magic.”  _ The snake says smoothly.

_ “Wizard? I’ve never heard of those anywhere except for in books at school. I thought they were just a fairytale.”  _ Harry thinks for a moment then smiles at the snake. Maybe it could answer his questions.  _ “My name is Harry what’s yours?” _

_ “I have no name as I was never gifted one at birth. Perhaps you could give me one? I would not mind it from a speaker like you.”  _ The snake replied honestly.

Harry put his hand under his chin and went through a list of names in his head. Despite having come up with names for his pets in the past, he didn’t think any of them fit. He looked at the snake again and it’s black iridescent scales. The purple standing out in the light like amethysts and the emerald green eyes staring back at him. Then it came to him like a flash of lightning.

_ “How about Regiis? I read it in a book and it means royal. And well, your scales remind me of amethysts and your eyes are like emeralds. Those are both expensive gems that royalty wears so I thought maybe you’d like a name like that.”  _ He says quickly. He was slightly fearful that the snake wouldn’t like the name and bite him.

_ “I like it. Thank you speaker I will cherish this name. Please allow me to help you in repayment.”  _ Regiis offered.

_ “Help me with what exactly?” _

_ “With learning of your heritage of course. You at least deserve to know why you have magic and how it works.” _

So for the rest of the time Harry worked in the garden Regiis talked to him. Only when Petunia called him back in did he finally leave the snakes side. Unbeknownst to him and Regiis a large bird was watching them in interest. It’s gaze lingered on the snake before it flew off with quiet wings.

  
  
  
  


The next day Harry woke with excitement rushing through his veins. Regiis Had told him so many things about the Wizarding world and he was just dying to know more. He didn’t even wait for his aunt to knock on his door before he jumped out. He quickly made breakfast and sat it out on the table just as Petunia made her way down the stairs. 

His Aunt stared at him confused before recognizing the food on the table. She shrugged her shoulders and was about to say something when Harry cut her off.

“Aunt Petunia I was wondering if I could go work out in the garden again today? I saw some seeds for some Peonies and thought that maybe I could plant some. That is if you’d allow me the chance?”

This caught Petunia by surprise if the face she made was any indication. She took a quick look at the garden and gave it a contemplative look. Of course she was planning to plant them herself but she really hadn’t had any time. Although she really wanted them blooming by next spring if she could. Then she’d have a much better garden than her nosy neighbor. Harry could tell when she finally made up her mind when her eyes shone a bright glint.

“You may plant the peonies as well as the fox gloves and gladiolus. But you will have to plant them in the front yard. I would rather not have them tucked away where no one can see them.” 

“Yes Aunt Petunia.”

Harry didn’t even bother with any other instructions as he was out the door and to the shed before her mouth could even open again. He grabbed the garden kit and some trimmers then made his way to the front of the house. He took a good look at the bushes and shrubs and grimaced. No one had trimmed them in years and he was about to change that now. 

Without a second thought he started clipping away the mangled limbs of a particularly nasty looking shrub. It took a while to find a shape he was confident in and trimmed it to match his vision. He looked at the rest of the bushes and sighed. This might just take a while.

About halfway through the final bush a familiar hissy laugh made its way to his side. Harry looks through the window quickly to find his family nowhere near the sitting room. He sighs then looks down at the snake with a small smile. 

_ “And why are you laughing at me this time Regiis?” _

_ “Because you humans seem to feel the need to cut and shape a useless little plant speaker Harry.”  _ Regiis said with another hissy laugh. Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed the spade from his kit.

_ “It’s called gardening Regiis, it’s so that the plants don’t overrun our home. Plus they looked ugly anyway.”  _ Harry replied with a shrug. Regiis stared at him for a long moment before giving a shake of his head.

_ “And how come it’s you who is doing this ‘gardening’ and not your nest mates?”  _

_ “Because it’s the only reason I have to stay away from them. Otherwise I’d be cleaning the house or sitting in my cabinet.”  _ Harry says annoyed. 

_ “Do you not like your nest mates?” _

_ “No, I hate them.” _

_ “Why do you say that speaker Harry? Do they not treat you well?”  _ The questions urge Harry to look up from his work and stare into the snake's eyes. 

_ “No I suppose they don’t. At least according to those around me they don’t treat me well. But I’ve never really been normal so I don’t know what is right or wrong.”  _ Regiis hisses a few words that Harry Couldn't quite catch.

_ “How do they treat you if I may ask.” _

_ “Well I mean they don’t exactly treat me like family. At least, I hope family isn’t treated that way. Um I guess they push me around and order me to do things that I’m sometimes not comfortable with. They force me to make them food, clean the house, wash their clothes, and sometimes I do the gardening. Though most of the time they just force me to stay in my cabinet.”  _ He says going back to planting the seeds. Each one glows a little as he places them into the soil.

_ “That is unacceptable speaker Harry. A child should not be forced to do the things you do. Do they do anything if you refuse?”  _ Regiis asks slightly panicked.

_ “Well I mean they punish me if I don’t so yeah I guess.” _

_ “What do they do?” _

_ “Hmm, more often than not they put me in my cabinet and lock it for many days. During that time they don’t feed me and if I’m lucky I might be able to use the loo once or twice. For the more troubling things Vernon likes to whip me with his belt. Sometimes I wake up a few hours later, others I’m asleep for a day or two. I guess the only time it’s been a problem is when Aunt Petunia burnt my hands with her frying pan.”  _ Harry says smoothly as if he wasn’t bothered. Regiis meanwhile was hissing obscenities at the very thought of hurting the speaker.

_ “Speaker Harry I have to know. What do you think would happen if they saw you speaking to me?”  _

_ “Well I suppose they’d beat me and call me a freak but I doubt anything else would happen.” _

_ “I see…” _

  
  
  
  


_ “What do you mean wizards don’t know what a telephone is? Are they really that far behind?”  _ Harry asked. He and Regiis were sitting in the front yard talking while Harry tended to more plants. They were growing extremely fast and Harry was almost beginning to think it was because of him. 

_ “Well they don’t need telephones. They can speak to each other through floo or just visit one another.” The snake said. _

_ “What’s floo? Never heard of that before.” _

_ “Well if I remember correctly. Do be mindful that I haven’t visited the Wizarding world in a while. But I believe it was a sort of travel system between fireplaces.” _

_ “Huh? How the bloody hell does that work?” _

_ “Well they use this weird powder that they toss into the fireplace and they say the name of wherever they’re trying to go. It’s really weird if you ask me. If they’re in the fireplace when they do it then they disappear in a green flame but if not then it just kind of calls the place like a telephone and they can talk through it.” _

_ “That’s really weird do you think anyone has ever gotten stuck during transport? Like what if it stopped working mid way through and they were trapped.”  _ Harry said with a bit too much excitement.

_ “I have no idea but maybe you could ask whenever you see them.” Regiis gave a hissy laugh when Harry groaned in response.  _

_ “Do you really think I’ll be able to see them? I mean my family never lets me go anywhere.”  _ Harry looked at the snake hopeful _. _

_ “I’m sure you’ll see them eventually. All magical children eventually do after all. Especially since Hogwarts invites all magically inclined children into their school.” _

_ “What’s Hogwarts? I’ve never even heard of it.”  _ Harry tilts his head in confusion. Regiis sighs.

  
  
  
  


When winter finally came around Harry was no longer allowed to work outside as the weather became colder. Time outside became nonexistent and his visits with Regiis shorter. Then one day Harry went to take out the trash and found Regiis on the porch steps. 

_ “Speaker I’m very cold. Can I seek shelter from you?”  _ Harry looked at the snake in surprise before looking around. The Dursleys were out having dinner with Aunt Marge for the night so he had the house to himself for the time being.

_ “I suppose but you’ll need to stay hidden. If my family finds you I’ll be in trouble and you would be killed.”  _ He picks up the snake and puts it around his shoulders. He finishes throwing the trash away and slips back into the house quietly. 

_ “Could I have something to eat speaker?”  _ Regiis asks.

_ “Sure, what do you like to eat?” _

_ “Normally I eat mice or deer but eggs work for now. Preferably warm.”  _ Harry nods along before stopping mid walk. How the hell does such a small snake eat deer?

_ “Umm Regiis, did you just say you eat deer?”  _

_ “Of course I didn’t stutter did I?”  _ Regiis says smugly.

_ “But how do you eat them? You're so small it makes no sense!”  _ Regiis eyes him carefully before carefully sliding down to the floor. Once he laid out on the carpet Harry watched as the snake got bigger and bigger. Slowly it was becoming apparent how Regiis was eating Deer. The snake continued to grow until its head hit the ceiling. 

_ “I’m not even at full size but as you can see I’m not quite as small as I appear Harry.”  _ The snake had a permanent mischievous smile plastered to its face. Then Harry noticed the small but noticeable purple feathers lining its head and back.

_ “That’s wicked! How big do you get?”  _ Harry jumped up and down excitedly.

_ “Well I could easily trump a basilisk in terms of size but definitely not a-“  _ Regiis was interrupted by the sound of a car door slamming outside and both he and Harry shared a look. The snake quickly slid over to the cabinet and slid in. It amazed Harry how well he fit if a bit cramped. Harry quickly closed the door and turned towards the front door. 

The lock clicked and the door slid open to reveal his Uncle Vernon who stared at him suspiciously. Harry gave him an innocent look before smiling.

“What are you doing out here boy?” His uncle asked with narrowed eyes. 

“I was just coming from the loo uncle Vernon.” Harry said, clasping his hands behind his back. A second later and the stairs creaked a little making him flinch. 

Vernon gave him a look before walking over to his cabinet and giving him one last glare. He opened the door and Harry held his breath hoping he didn’t see Regiis mid shrink. Vernon looked around the cabinet and huffed when he didn’t find anything noteworthy. 

“Well what are you doing boy? Get back in here we’re going to bed.” 

Harry didn’t even bother waiting for him to leave and quickly crawled into the small space. He waited till he heard his family to go upstairs before whispering quietly.

_ “Are you okay Regiis?” _

_ “Yes Harry I’m fine. Though I wish I’d been given more time to shift. Growing and shrinking quickly hurts a little.” _

_ “I’m sorry Reg I didn’t know they’d be home this early.”  _

_ “I know Harry it’s not your fault your family are the way they are. Now go to bed.” _

_ “Ok Reg, goodnight.” _

_ “Goodnight speaker.” _

  
  
  
  


Many months later Harry and Regiis took their time to tiptoe around the Dursleys. Harry made it his mission to keep them from knowing Regiis ever existed. More often than not that meant taking Regiis to primary school with him where the snake would often slink away and find himself some food. 

Today was the same and Harry allowed him to go out and eat while he quietly attended class. They were getting their final grades in and he was kind of scared at what he would find. The Dursleys had banned him from getting better grades than their son when Dudley had complained the first time. Now he had to make sure he kept himself at a constant low. 

When he got his grade papers back he hesitantly took a look only to feel his brain shatter. He had mostly sixes and sevens. He looked at the paper again then to his teacher who stood next to him and smiled. 

“I won’t have you failing this year Mr.Potter we both know you’re much smarter than you put on.” Harry just gives her a blank look. She sighs and walks away disappointedly.

Harry booked it out the door as soon as the bell rang through the school. He had to grab Regiis and quickly. He made his way to the field of to the side of the school and called for him. A few people looked at him strangely before shrugging and walking away. Harry didn’t care if they thought he was crazy he needed to talk to Regiis.

_ “What is it Harry? Is something wrong?” _

_ “Yes! I just got my grades back and I’m passing!”  _ Harry says frantically.

_ “Isn’t that a good thing though?” _

_ “No! The Dursleys refuse to let me have grades higher than Dudley. And he’s so bad at school that I have to constantly fail or else I get in trouble.”  _

_ “Well that’s really dumb but your family is pretty stupid.” _ The snake says.

_ “What do I do?” _

A scuffing of shoes next to him has him turning around to see some of Dudley's friends standing behind him. They’re giving him a look of disgust and the large one comes forward. 

“Look at that the freak’s talking to a snake! What a loser, can’t even get his own friends.” The kid grabs him by his shirt and pulls him up to eye level. “Maybe we should teach him a lesson huh?”

The rest of the kids nod and give noises of agreement. Harry looks at the kid with fear before a rather heavy punch slammed into his gut. He cried out and the kid dropped him onto the ground only to kick him. The rest of the kids start to join in and Harry curls up on the ground trying to protect his head. This goes on for about a minute then one of the boys grunts and falls over clutching his ankle. 

He’s bleeding from two small holes that seem to be turning purple. Regiis rises up and hisses at the group. 

“That snake just bloody bit me!”

_ “Yeah and I’ll do it again too!” _ Regiis hissed out.

One of the kids steps forward to kick Regiis when out of nowhere a large bird appeared with its talons pointed at them. It’s screeching at them and flapping its wings wildly. It digs its talons into the large boy and attacks his face angrily. It’s all the guy can do just to get the bird off. Then the group grabbed the bitten one and ran off telling Harry that it wasn’t over yet.

Harry just cried silently on the ground as the bird hopped over to him. Regiis eyed the bird warily till it gazed into his eyes and blinked. The bird inspected the injuries with a calculating look. It seemed as if it knew just how hurt Harry really was. 

“I don’t know why you helped me out but thank you.” He said to the bird. He reached out to the bird only to flinch back when it screeched in pain. A few of the bird's feathers fell to the ground and crumbled into ash. Harry stared in shock, had he really just done that? Was the bird okay?

He looked back up to check but the bird was gone. He looked around frantically but somehow the bird had just vanished without a trace. A frown settled onto his face as he stood up. The sound of the bell caught his attention and he reluctantly ran back inside to attend his last class. Hopefully when he goes home he won’t have to worry about being beat. Hopefully Dudley impresses them enough that they’ll just ignore him. 

When class was let out he scrambled to grab Regiis and get home. He found the snake staring at the bird from earlier. As soon as the bird saw him it flew away leaving Regiis on the ground. Harry looked to his snake who shook its head and huffed out a sigh. He didn’t bother to ask what had happened between them, if Regiis wanted to talk about it then he would.

He slid Regiis into his bag and walked off the school grounds. The shadows around him seemed to grow darker as he picked up speed. They tangled together and watched him closely in curiosity.

Unknown to him the bird also followed him home. It’s eyes narrowing the closer it gets to the house. Something was wrong and the movement in the shadows surrounding the house got more frantic. The bird watches as a small shadow merges with Harry’s and slips into the house behind the boy. 


	3. Enter: Fulgur Lefay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry was passing his classes. While most children would find that to be a good thing, Harry saw it as an omen. How would the Dursleys react?

Harry stepped quietly through the door after Dudley who kept giving him weird looks. Harry ignored him and made his way to his cabinet where he placed Regiis and whispered quietly for him to stay put and closed the door. He watched quietly as Dudley showed his parents his grades. Petunia fawned over how much better he did this year before turning to Harry.

“What did you get boy? Probably not as good as my Duddykins huh?” She held out her hand and Harry gently placed the paper into it. She snatched it away with a wicked smile and unfolded the paper. She looked down at the paper and slowly her smile fell. Her expression was quickly replaced by anger. Dudley took the paper and looked at it too before whining about how unfair it was that Harry did better than him and that it was so uncool that he told a snake to bite his friend. 

After Dudley said that Petunia went stock still and looked Harry in the eyes. A flash of fear crossed her face then became a steely expression. 

“We told you not to bring your freakishness into this house boy.” Vernon said dangerously. His belt was already coming undone and Petunia pushed Dudley upstairs and into his room.

“I didn’t do that uncle Vernon. I don’t even know how to talk to snakes.” Harry gulped. Vernon’s face only seemed to scrunch up with disbelief.

“Don’t lie to me Freak! I know what you do when we aren’t looking. You spread your freakishness like a plague and I’m having none of it!” Vernon pushes Harry to the floor and brings his belt down on Harry’s back. 

“No I didn't, I swear uncle! I didn’t do it!”

Vernon ignores Harry’s plea and continues to whip him harshly. He can feel his skin slice open, tearing whenever the metal hits his back, liquid starts to pool along the curve of his spine. His vision blurs and the shadows of the room seem to grow darker. 

Vernon stops whipping him only to push him down with the sole of his shoe. He flops onto his stomach with a grunt of pain. His uncle's large foot comes down onto his back and a spike of pain rushes through him as if he’d been shocked. Another stomp to his back has the pain doubled as a large cracking sound emanates from his chest. Then he feels the foot collide with the back of his head and his nose explodes with a resounding crack. The area feels so numb and he cries out as his head is forced to stay where it is.

“Quiet boy!” Vernon yells and Harry whimpers in pain as his Uncle continues to kick him over and over again. 

Harry doesn’t know when the beating stops but he does know that he’s too numb to feel the pain anymore. He’s almost positive that the fingers in his left hand have been broken as well as his nose. He can feel liquid coming from his mouth so probably a few missing teeth too. He can barely feel his legs but he knows they’re fine as he pushes himself up on them. He looks at the mess made on the floor and releases a slow breath. 

He must have blacked out because it was dark outside now and last he checked it was still midday when he came home. He grabbed a mop and a bucket and set out to clean the floor. When he was done he dumped the dirty water outside then set the mop and bucket back where they came from. He made his way into the bathroom and turned on the light. His face was bloody and his eyes were bloodshot. His nose was slightly crooked, and opening his mouth showed that yes, he was in fact missing a few teeth. With a sigh he rubbed his face clean of the dried blood and rinsed his mouth out with warm water. 

Exiting the bathroom he stops to stare at the shadows of his house. He could have sworn he saw something move for a second. The air around him dropped in temperature for only a second before returning to normal. He looked around wondering what exactly had happened. When he found nothing he released a long breath.

He shuffled back to the cabinet where he opened the door and quickly crawled in. He didn’t bother getting under the covers and just curled up on his side. He felt Regiis slither up to him and bump his face with his own. Harry smiled slightly and rubbed a finger on the snake's smooth scales.

_ “Why don’t you just leave?” _ Regiis asks.

_ “I have nowhere else to go.” _

* * *

  
  
  


It took three days after the beating for Harry to wake up. Three days of torturous nightmares and he finally woke up. But that was two years ago and he’s nine now. That doesn’t mean he’s forgotten what it was like though. He has a constant reminder everyday of what it’s like to be beaten by his family. 

The combined efforts of his aunt, uncle, and cousin made sure of that. Everyday once he came home from school another beating was waiting for him. He could only just put his bag and Regiis away before it started. Every day he woke up with fresh bruises and every night he went to bed with cuts and broken bones.

He’s practically silent now, he doesn’t speak unless spoken to, and even then it’s not much. His days blur together for the most part, the only reason he knows what month it is was because of the celebrations going on around him. He’s always super sad and unmotivated to do anything. Especially during the day when he’s ripped from his cabinet and forced to do house work. At night he’s always too upset to sleep and that makes him constantly tired the next day. It goes on for weeks until he eventually passes out. 

Regiis says he might have a condition called depression and he’s inclined to believe it. But he also says that they should just leave and never return. Harry isn’t so sure about that seeing as he really doesn’t have anywhere to go. Even if he did decide to wander the streets he’d be found and brought back eventually.

The strange things with the shadows continued to happen whenever he woke up from his beatings. Every time he could just barely see what was there. It looked almost like black cloth, as if someone was wearing a dark sheet over themselves. It wasn’t really any particular shape, sometimes it swirled around, sometimes it looked like an animal. But one thing was certain, it was there to help, even if he didn’t ask for it. 

The thing would always be there, watching him, almost like a guardian of some sort. Whenever the Dursleys got particularly violent the creature seemed to dissuade them from continuing. The room would get cold whenever it was around and a sense of dread would fill the space around them. The Dursleys would always get a look of fear on their faces and enter a cold sweat.

Harry was never affected by the creature, almost like it wanted him to feel safe, but the concept of something other than Regiis wanting to protect him was odd. Sure the bird protected him but he hadn’t seen it since the day it attacked those boys. He hadn’t even been able to leave the house to see it. The Dursleys made sure he was taken to school and only to school. 

He wasn’t allowed in the garden, the front yard, or even the park down the road. Much to Dudley’s chagrin as he was hoping to go “Harry hunting” with his friends. He wasn’t even allowed to go to Mrs. Figg’s house. No one really went much of anywhere and therefore Harry was stuck inside. The only time he could even think about sneaking out was when everyone slept. But that was only to make sure Regiis was okay.

Today though, Harry was being let outside. Well kind of. It was more like he was being dragged around on a shopping trip. So he got dressed into nicer clothes—as nice as hand me downs can get— and followed his family out to their car. Once he got in Vernon gave him a stern look and said.

“Don’t be doing no freakish things out in public you hear?” Harry didn’t answer, he just nodded. Vernon knew that was all he was getting out of him so he turned around and started to drive away.

It was the first time in a while that Harry had been this far away from the house. He could clearly see where his little cul de sac ended and the city began. The houses were still closely packed but each one was of different style and color and some of them had large trees or a fountain in the yard. He stared out the window for most of the drive but then something caught his eye.

It seemed to have gotten Vernons attention as well because the man looked in the right hand mirror and grumbled. A large gray bird was following them, it was subtle, but if you were looking, you could see it clearly following them.

“I bet it’s one of those owls from that blasted school.” Petunia said suddenly. Harry looked at it and no it definitely wasn’t an owl but it didn’t look like a bird from around here either. Then he recognized it, it was the bird that saved him from the bullies at school. His eyes widened and he looked back at Vernon who was struggling to watch the road. 

Suddenly the bird swooped in front of the car and screeched, flapping its wings frantically. Vernon sped up and Petunia swore under her breath. The screeching got louder and the bird more frantic. That’s when Harry saw it, a large truck speeding down the road to the left of them. The bird was trying to warn them!

“Uncle Vernon, wait! There’s a tru-“ his words were cut off as the side of the car caved inwards crushing Harry’s arm and leg in the process. He cried out in shock as his head hit the front seat with a resounding crack. His vision became blurry as time seemed to speed up around him. He became dizzy and looking around made him nauseous. He watched as the world around them spun, the glass of the windshield caved in and crumbled. His aunt screamed as another car hit the front of theirs as it tipped over onto its hood. They were left hanging by their seatbelts and slowly but surely Harry could see Petunia unbuckle herself and crawl out of the car. 

She first opened Dudley’s door and unbuckled him causing his body to drop with a slight grunt of pain. He could see pieces of glass sticking out of both of them. Petunia was bleeding more than her son but Dudley seemed to be in more pain. Vernon gave a moan of discomfort before also unbuckling and dropping ungraciously to the floor. Both boys crawled out of the car and gathered around Petunia in a family hug of sorts. But Harry couldn’t get out, he couldn’t move, and the smell of petrol was starting to worry him. He looked around and saw a slowly approaching fire. 

The fire grew more intense the closer it got to the car and Harry became more frantic to find a way out. He tried to pull his arm free from the crushed metal only to be met with a spray of blood from his injured arm. He tried to find the buckle but all the blood rushing to his head made it hard for him to focus and use his right arm. Then as a last resort he looked to his so called family who in turn looked back at him disdainfully. He watched as the fire made its way to where the gas led up to the car itself and braced for impact only to lose focus when Petunia said.

“Good riddance no one loved him anyway.” And then a flash of white, a loud boom, and then blackness.

* * *

  
  
  


Fulgur didn’t know what to think when he realized that Harry was in danger. Not by outside sources but by those in the child’s own home. The fae man was at a loss, who could do such dreadful things to a child? It wasn’t long after the thought that he’d tried to get into the Dursleys house. But somehow he couldn’t step a foot onto the property. It was unlike the night he’d done the ritual with his queen where he could get so close as to knock. 

It must have been his fault then. The old man, one that was much too familiar, with his half moon glasses and crooked nose, the twinkling eyes that tried to peer into your mind. Albus Dumbledore had done something to the house and Fulgur was having none of it. He tried for years to get the wards around the house down. Praying every time to mother magic that he’d finally got the counter spell right. But every time he had failed. 

He was forced to watch Harry grow up in a borderline abusive household. He had never seen them lay a hand on the boy so that was a relief, but he knew the child wasn’t being fed, he was much too small, his ribs were visible even under his shirts. Though just because he hadn’t seen them beat the boy didn’t mean they wouldn’t eventually. He hated leaving the boy to report back to his queen, leaving the child in the hands of his horrible family, It was something he regretted every single day. 

He wished he could just go in there and steal the child away, take him to the realm of the Fae and protect him, give him a loving family like his queen did for him. But he just couldn’t do it, he couldn’t even get close to the child, the wards surrounding the house were also around the child himself. He couldn’t hope to touch him lest his skin burn to a crisp.

He’d tried to do so the day he fought off those school bullies. One of his feathers had flamed for a split second before vanishing. Something was wrong with those wards, nothing magical could touch the child, at least, not witches or wizards. His snake was a different matter altogether. Regiis was somehow able to stay safely tucked around the child like a poisonous shield. It was something he couldn’t even begin to fathom. Even the squib that the damn fool had sent to watch the boy couldn’t touch him. Somehow she had the tiniest bit of magic that it made her burn in his vicinity. 

So why then could the snake touch him while he could not? It hadn’t occurred to him that Dumbledore could be such a hypocrite sometimes. He always boasted about using light magic, that dark magic was the worst, and yet here he lays the proof of his hypocrisy. The wards were made via blood magic. If you did not know, blood magic is by far one of, if not the, darkest magic of them all. Using one's own blood is not so bad but to use the blood of others is immoral. To take control of one's life, body, and soul is an unacceptable use of magic. One would be wise never to do so lest they anger mother magic. 

There are three immutable rules for magic. The third rule is to never use another’s blood for any magic to harm or control them. The second rule is to never change the fate of any person but your own. The first and most important rule, never try to cheat death, lest you be cursed to live a life of suffering. Of course that rule has been overlooked many times by death themself. The entity found pleasure in the chaos one creates in trying to cheat at their game of life. They will inevitably meet them sooner or later. Only one person may live forever and that is its own master. 

So Dumbledore has broken one of the sacred rules, though it wasn’t fully broken, as Harry’s wards were meant to protect the child. That being said it was anyone’s guess what else the child’s blood was used for. Perhaps he has broken the other two as well but that remains to be seen. He would not be able to break these wards as they’re tied to the boy’s life. So he will be forced to sit back and help from afar. If that included attacking school bullies or popping the tire of Vernons car then so be it. 

Then the day came when he watched Vernon shove Harry into the backseat of his car. The squib was nowhere to be seen so he must be forced to bring Harry with them. His eyes narrowed at the way the obese man handled Harry. Someone he’s come to care for was being hurt and it made him seethe inside his mind. Then the car started and they pulled away and drove down the street. 

He flew after them on silent wings, watching the roads ahead, just to see if he could guess where they were going. Then something caught his attention. The road adjacent to them held a speeding truck, the driver seemed to be passed out, they were plowing through the other cars on the road. He began to panic slightly when Vernon seemed to speed up. What was he doing? Was he trying to get them all killed!?

Fulgur flew faster squawking at them and flapping wildly to get their attention. He even tried standing in front of the car to get the man to stop. Vernon didn’t seem to care, only continuing to speed up, as if to try and hit him. Fulgur dived away as the two vehicles collided with one another. He watched as the small car carrying Harry flipped over and over. The glass shattered, the car door caved inwards, and the smell of petroleum filled the air. 

It took a moment for everything to settle and he watched as the Dursleys pulled themselves out of the car. Surely they wouldn’t leave Harry in there. They wouldn’t be so heartless as to let the child die right? Fire seemed to spread to the car quickly and Fulgur’s fears were heightened even more. Then they were confirmed as Petunia Dursley sneered at her nephew with nothing but hate on her face and a few muttered words. 

Fulgur dived towards the car, he didn’t care who saw at this point. He shifted back into an elf and reached into the vehicle, his skin burning as he pressed against the wards, but he refused to let them stop him. Even as he heard the voice of Petunia and her walrus of a husband screaming about him being a freak. He refused to stop. He must protect this child, he couldn’t let him die today, he would never let him die. He will protect his child! The sound of something snapping echoed around him as the wards gave way and a rush of cooling magic surrounded the two of them. The shadows in the area rushed into the vehicle and latched onto them. Suddenly the world twisted around them and Fulgur watched as the car exploded. But they were no longer near the car. They were down the road where no one could see them. 

Fulgur looked down at Harry in wonder. The wards no longer burned him as he held the boy close. Then he stood up and apparated away from the area.

* * *

  
  


It took weeks for Harry to wake up, so long that Fulgur had started to worry. The boy's wards had snapped when he’d forced them open and he feared it’d have lasting damage. Blood wards were dangerous when centered around one's own magic. He could have killed the boy but in that moment he had to take the risk. He couldn’t have just watched the kid die. He’d never forgive himself if he had. He already risked his own safety by going back to grab the snake. Regiis had been so angry that he lashed out at the faerie.

Fulgur looked out of the window to his home. The sky was in constant twilight, the sun and the moon were both on display in the sky. The forests of Tir na nÓg surrounded his manor in bright oranges and yellows. The autumn weather was approaching. He’d have to make sure no one tried to get inside his home while Harry resided here. 

His queen had already sent him a letter to have a meeting. She knew he had taken Harry from the humans. Fulgur had reluctantly agreed to meet with her which led to many things said between the two of them. He truly wished he could keep Harry with him. But he knew he couldn’t just steal the child away from the human realm. It was too dangerous, humans didn’t last long in the realm of the fae, or rather they didn’t stay human. Fulgur himself was a testament to that and he knew his queen's warnings were sound.

He had once been half human, the son of an elf and a witch, though the witch herself hadn’t been completely human either, the blood of an Ariel running through her veins. But despite his humanity he was welcomed into Tir na nÓg by his queen. Upon staying in the realm his humanity fizzled out and he was left with the looks of an elf. Long pointed ears, silky hair, bright seemingly glowing eyes, and fair smooth skin. 

So no, he couldn’t keep Harry safe here. He’d have to send him back eventually. But he’ll be damned if he didn’t try to help the child survive. His eyes flicked to the shadows that seemed to breath and he knew whatever was there agreed with his decision. 

He sighed and slinked down to the kitchen where he pulled out a few pans to cook with. Normally he’d let the house elves do it but seeing as he isn’t currently in the wizarding world he wasn’t about to call them here. Looks like he’ll be doing this on his own.

Harry woke up with a jump as a loud bang sounded out. The sound of someone swearing made its way to his ears. He groaned and stretched feeling the ache of his bones. It was painful. What had he done to feel this bad? He took a moment to think before his eyes opened in alarm. This wasn’t his cabinet, he was on a loveseat, and the room looked different. 

The memories of the accident came rushing back to him all at once causing his head to hurt. The bird, Vernon speeding, the truck, the crash, the car tumbling over the road, glass embedding itself into him, another car hitting them, his family exiting the car, his struggle to leave, his aunt… his aunt saying he was unloved. It all came back and he cried out in anguish.

The sound of rushing footsteps filled the area as someone came over to him and wrapped their arms around his small body. They hushed him while he cried into their shoulder. He hiccuped and coughed spreading his tears all over their shirt. They didn’t seem to mind as they rubbed a hand up and down his back. 

“Shh it’s okay I’ve got you. You don’t have to worry anymore, nothing can hurt you now. You’re safe.” The person said quietly. Regiis seemed to appear from thin air wrapping around him in a soothing gesture. What would normally make him afraid seemed to calm him as his shaking stopped.

Harry rubbed his eyes furiously then hugged the person tightly. They sat like that for a few minutes. The stranger rubbed his back soothingly and whispered encouragement from above. When Harry finally settled down he pulled away and took a good look at the stranger.

They had Silver hair, not silver like you’d find on old people, but a royal silver tinged with blue, their eyes were bright almost glowing teal, and their skin was a nice olive color. At full height they were tall and lanky but some of their muscles filled out their physique. Their silver hair was in a long braid that fell to their knees. Harry took this all in before looking around the room.

It was cozy and inviting with a fireplace and a large couch. There was a television across from him that looked like it was rarely ever used. A large window was to his left and it looked into a large expanse of woods. From here he could see a kitchen to the right which is where the stranger had come from. 

Where was he? Was he kidnapped? Did this person save him or did they take him from help? All questions ceased as the person next to him said his name. He looked at them and their slightly feminine face. The voice was deeper than he expected. 

“Harry are you okay?” They asked.

“I- I uh- I don’t know.” He admitted. He was not really thinking straight and he’d really like some food.

The stranger seemed to realize this and got up from his seat. They walked into the kitchen only to reappear seconds later with a tray of food and something to drink. He looked down at the food with a confused expression. He’s never really seen any of it before. It was strips of meat with tomatoes, lettuce, and sauce wrapped up in a thick bread. He looked at the stranger for answers. They laughed at him when he did.

“That’s a gyro, it's a Greek food typically made with goat meat. The milk you have there is cardamom and honey infused. It should be easy on the stomach so you won’t throw it all back up when you’re done.” They explained.

Harry took another look at the gyro before shrugging and picking it up. Regiis seemed to trust this stranger so he didn’t see why he shouldn’t. He took a small controlled bite just to taste. It was good, like, really good. He took a bigger bite and moaned at the taste. His empty stomach growled in agreement and he kept eating till he needed to take a drink and wash it down. The milk was just as good and was thin enough to help push the food down without choking. It wasn’t long before the rest of the food was eaten and he was sighing in content. 

The stranger took the tray back to the kitchen and Harry heard the sound of water running. He waited for the stranger to return to ask questions. He laid back down on the couch and got comfortable. This was the first time in years that he’s gotten a fulfilling meal and he was starting to feel bloated. Eventually he started to drift off but a noise startled him from his sleepiness.

“Where am I? And who are you exactly?” He asks and the stranger looks directly into his eyes.

“My name is Fulgur Argenti LeFay. You are at my temporary home in the most fair lands of Tir na nÓg, far away from where I found you. I don’t plan on sending you back to those monsters anytime soon either.” They growl with an angry huff. 

“LeFay? I’m pretty sure I heard Regiis say that name once or twice. But then that would mean that you’re… A wizard!” Harry looks at Fulgur in surprise. Fulgur shrugs and chuckles a little at that.

“I suppose I am a wizard. Though I never graduated from Hogwarts so that’s debatable.” They say as if annoyed.

“How come?” Harry tilts his head in confusion. 

“Well I was pulled out of the school during 1972 when my family decided it was too dangerous for me to be living in the Wizarding world. Especially since the school's headmaster is an absolute nutter. Honestly, who hires a guy like that? Anyway like I was saying. My family pulled me out of the Wizarding world so that I could stay with them.”

“So you’re a half-blood then. Did you have a muggle parent?” Harry asks. Fulgur shakes their head.

“No no not at all. I’m only a quarter human, my mother was only half human, my father wasn’t human at all.” They say shrugging.

“But I thought the LeFay were purists. How come your parents weren't?” Fulgur just kind of stares at him. Harry feels a little embarrassed that he doesn’t know.

“My mother was a LeFay yes and my father was a faerie. But the story of LeFay being purist was a lie told by other purists. Sure we’re a pure blood family but we do allow some fresh blood mixed in. Hell our branch family married into a line of squibs in the muggle world.”

“Oh, so you have more family on the fae side?”

“I suppose you could say that. All Faeries are related in one way or another. Our Fae-mother Queen Titania is the leader of our civilization. We live in the veil between realms called Tír na nÓg. It’s quite beautiful but humans aren’t allowed to enter without special permission by our queen.” Fulgur smiles a little and points to a photo on the end stand next to him. 

“Was that your mother and father?” Harry asks. Fulgur nods and passes it to him. His mother is pale and has bright red hair and pretty green eyes. His father on the other hand is dark with light silver hair and light blue almost fully white eyes. It was kinda creepy but the two of them look so happy together that Harry couldn’t complain.

“Mother died not long after my birth and father died when I was twelve. It was his seventy-seventh year alive. Far too young but I suppose it was inevitable since the oracle predicted it.”

“Who’s the oracle and how long do the fae typically live for?”

“We generally live about eight maybe nine-hundred years. As for the oracle, they’re someone who tells the future through visions or dreams, they can also communicate with other beings that we cannot. We don’t know who the oracle is or when the next one is born but the queen and king do.” 

“That’s so cool! Can you tell me what it was like to be a wizard at Hogwarts?” Harry asked, bouncing up and down on the sofa.

“Sure! Now where to start… oh! Well I was sorted into Ravenclaw but my best friend was in Slytherin so I hung out with him for the most part and they have this really weird hierarchy system that-“

* * *

  
  
  


“Hey Fulgur I have a question.”

“What’s up Harry?” Fulgur asked absentmindedly as he sifted through the cupboards to find some spices. He was making curry tonight and Harry was unsure whether he would like it or not.

“Can you understand Regiis and I?”

“Well yeah I’ve been able to talk to animals for most of my life. It’s a fae thing.” He says with a little ‘Ah hah’ when he finds the ground ginger.

“Huh, but I thought only parselmouths could speak to snakes.”

“Maybe but I don’t know, Regiis is the only snake I’ve ever actually talked to that didn’t try to eat me. I’ve never even thought to ask.” He opened the lid to his ceramic pot and tasted the curry. The smell emanated over to Harry and his stomach growled loudly.

“Is there a chance you could be related to Salazar Slytherin? Last I checked his family were Parselmouths.” Fulgur snorted at that.

“I highly doubt that. His family was full of blood purists. They were so pure that they only inbred with themselves. The only person who didn’t was a woman by the name of Merope Gaunt and she got a muggle man to fall in love with her via potion. They had a kid of course, but he was a menace. Not that it was completely his fault, his upbringing wasn’t exactly what you’d call normal, but nonetheless we were all happy when he left.”

“What happened to him?” Fulgur stopped stirring the curry and turned to look at him.

“You killed him when you were just a babe.”

“It was Voldemort? But I thought he was a pureblood.”

“So did everyone else. The only ones who knew were himself, Dumbledore, his inner circle, and the oracle. That is until the oracle told the queen and the queen told us.”

“How did the oracle know?”

“Well, it was a part of a prophecy. A prophecy that you are a part of.” He said ladling the curry into bowls of rice.

“Really? What was the prophecy?” Harry asked, taking his own bowl and digging in. It was spicy and piping hot but the flavor was sweet and the rice refreshing. 

“If I remember correctly it was…” he thought for a moment “The Child Of the Night, born from not two but three, born as the seventh month ends, shall vanquish the scourge of death. One shrouded in darkness but portrayed as light will cause more harm than good. And the child shall choose one of many paths fate has decided for him.”

“Weird, that’s supposed to be about me?” Fulgur nodded, taking a bite of his own curry. “It was kind of…” he struggled to find a word.

“Vague?” Harry nodded “Yeah it was pretty weird but the oracle described you pretty well so we looked out for you. Our queen blessed you with three gifts the night you ‘vanquished’” he finger quotes “the dark lord.” 

“Oh, that reminds me. How did Voldemort find my parents? From the books you brought back it says they were under the fidelius charm. And I highly doubt Sirius Black would just out his own friends. Unless he really is a two faced twat.” Fulgur snorted at that.

“I honestly have no idea Harry. I wasn’t around for the war until the very end. The fae know a lot but not everything. So maybe we’ll find out but not right now. So hush up and eat.”

Harry grins at the halfling and digs into his curry with gusto. The milk on the side helps to quell the burning but if he’s honest, he doesn’t really mind it. Fulgur doesn’t seem to mind either. He looks out the window in the kitchen and watches a fully grown Regiis chase around birds with a smile.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Harry stepped outside onto the grass and looked around with wide eyes. It had been a week since He’d woken up. The entire time he’d been awake Fulgur had been helping him walk around the manor. He’d said something about his magical core having been exhausted and that he’d been asleep for a very long time. Which honestly made sense since as soon as he’d tried to stand up his legs crumpled from underneath him. 

He must have been laying on that loveseat for a long time. Regiis had laughed at him which only made Harry roll his eyes in annoyance. What would a snake know about walking anyway? He didn’t even have legs!

Harry spun around in a circle looking at all of the large trees. Large birds soared in the sky, a group of fairies Fulgur called sylphs flew around each other playfully, pixies hopped over large glowing mushrooms, and a large black dog chased a glowing cat through the brush. The sky was in a perpetual twilight that never seemed to change. It was beautiful! Harry laughed heartily as Regiis chased the dog away when it tried to come over. 

“It’s so pretty,” Harry whispered. Fulgur’s lips quirked upwards in a small smile. He’d thought the same thing when he’d first entered the fae realm. Then he’d been taught everything about his home and his people. 

A tree nymph peeked out from behind a large oak and waved. Fulgur waved back before pulling Harry away from the tree line. The boy pouted for a moment before walking back towards the manor. Fulgur glared towards the nymph who tried to cross over his barrier. The nymph hissed in his direction as it touched the barrier and got shocked. He made sure to keep out those who would try to take Harry away. Even his own queen wouldn’t be able to cross the barrier without his permission. Not that she would, she knew why he’d put it up.

Fulgur followed Harry back into the manor and closed the door after Regiis slid in. They walked to the sitting room where Harry sat on his loveseat grumpily. Regiis hissed out a laugh at Fulgur who stuck his tongue out at the snake. 

“I don’t understand why I can’t leave the barrier. The other faeries seem so nice, how could they possibly do any harm?” Harry asked. Fulgur sighed, he slid a hand under his chin as he leaned on the arm of his chair. 

He thought for a moment before answering “we’re very different from humans Harry. What you may see as being polite and kind, we might see it as an insult, it’s quite easy to get on our bad side. There’s many instances that a human has unknowingly insulted a faerie and ended up either dead or cursed. You cannot go out there until you know how to act around them.” Harry looked up at him skeptically making Fulgur laugh. “I know it sounds weird but it’s true.”

Harry turned in his seat to look at Fulgur before pursing his lips in thought. “Can you teach me?” He asked suddenly. “Not just the stuff about the fae, but stuff in the Wizarding world as well. You know, like wizarding etiquette, and magic.” His eyes flashed in excitement as Fulgur hummed as if he was thinking about it.

“Hmm, I don’t know” he said slowly “my teaching methods can be very unorthodox.” Harry bounced in his seat making Fulgur smile “but if you really want to—“

“Yes!” Harry said, cutting Fulgur off. “Regiis is great and all but he’s not exactly able to teach me how to do anything. I mean he’s a snake.” He says pointing to the large reptile snacking on a small rabbit. Regiis looks over at him and he gets the feeling that if the reptile had shoulders he’d be shrugging. 

Fulgur nods sagely leaning back in his seat. He could teach Harry some offensive magic like he’d been taught, or, he could teach some defensive magic like his ancestors were fond of. He looked at the frail skinny boy across from him with a frown. The boy looked so weak, but he knew his magic core was powerful, but what should he prioritize? He hummed before shrugging. He’d worry about that later. For now he’ll be teaching him etiquette. 

“Alright kid but I warn you now, there will be no complaints, and there will be no overworking yourself. You will follow a strict set of rules do you understand?” Harry nodded quickly, smiling so bright, Fulgur was sure he was looking at the sun. “Alright then. Tomorrow you’ll get up early for your first lesson.” Harry jumped off the love seat jumping up and down happily. Fulgur shook his head, he should really teach this kid to reign in his emotions.

Harry continued to bounce around the manor for most of the day. Regiis, his ever faithful partner, had taken to slithering between his feet as he did so. It was by some strange miracle that the snake didn’t manage to trip the boy. It was with fondness that Fulgur put a stop to their antics when Harry bumped into a painting of Morgana. The painting itself had looked down at them with a small smile and a wave. 

“Wow! She’s really pretty.” Harry said, looking up at the witch. She had soft red hair, fair skin, slightly pointed ears, and the brightest blue eyes. She wore a jeweled headpiece that wrapped around her head in twisted vines, her hair was adorned with feathers that were braided into the red locks, her dress was a dark blue that looked to be covered in stars. “Who is she?” He asked twisting around to look at Fulgur. The older man looked up to the painting as if asking for permission. Morgana nodded her head and shooed them off.

Fulgur continued walking towards the dining room with a serene smile. “That was the dark witch Morgana LeFay.” Harry’s eyes had blown wide at the revelation as he looked back at the painting. Morgana waved at him before moving out of the frame. “Despite what some people would have you believe, Morgana was not evil, nor was she some kind of dictator. She was the rightful queen of Avalon.” Fulgur huffed.

“What happened? I know she didn’t stay queen for long. Regiis said something about Merlin and Arthur but I can’t quite remember.” Harry pursed his lips in thought. Fulgur looked down at the large reptile in fascination. For a creature such as him to retain so much knowledge was quite amazing. 

Fulgur pulled open the double doors into the dining room and sat in the first seat he saw. “Merlin was in a sense responsible for her downfall. In all honesty the two of them actually got along, it was her half-brother, Arthur, who caused the people to turn against her.” Harry listened closely. He wanted to know more about this amazing woman. A woman who was the ancestor of his savior.

“You see Arthur didn’t like the fact that his sister had taken Merlin’s attention. He wanted to be seen as the better of the two siblings. Arthur had no magic for himself, so he had to prove himself the muggle way, which meant he had to throw himself into danger.” Fulgur’s face couldn’t look more annoyed if he’d tried. “He went on adventure after adventure, slaying hags, dragons, and other dangerous creatures. But it was never enough to gain favor with the old wizard. Merlin was taken to Morgana’s prowess in magic. She could cast spells like no other before her. While her affinity was with a darker magic, she was an amazing enchantress, and a powerful healer.” There was pride in his voice as he said so. 

Harry took a bite from his sandwich before handing Regiis a raw egg to eat. “She was amazing with potions, she could brew things that could heal, or prevent death, make her magic more powerful, even cure illnesses that had plagued for centuries. She was adept in the dark arts, many dark charms, or curses, having been made by her. She had even utilized the full power of human transfiguration. She was the first person to have ever become an animagus.” Fulgur took a second to breathe, having ranted about the story for the last minute. 

“Arthur, having been jealous of his half-sister, gathered the knights of the round table. He used his enchanted sword to entice the members into listening to him. He convinced them that she was an evil, vile woman, who wanted to rule the kingdom with an iron fist.” There was a frown firmly indented into the man's face at this point. Harry got the feeling Fulgur didn’t like Arthur much.

“Merlin having made the sword caught wind to its misuse. He hadn’t made it so that Arthur could yank it out of the stone and slander his own sister's name. So Merlin made a second Excalibur. The second sword wasn’t actually a sword but rather a staff. One that would later be gifted to Morgana when Merlin chose to name her the Dark Enchantress.” The painting in the corner of the room filled with Morgana as she slipped into it with a dreamy look. Beside her was an older wizard who had a soft smile on his face. 

“Were they together?” Harry asked absently. He stared at the painting for only a moment longer. Then he turned his gaze to a look of disgust on Fulgur’s face.

“Oh mother magic bless your soul.” The fae man responded “no, they were not together. Merlin was more like a mentor or friend to her than anything else. He was there to watch her progress and nothing more. Of course they had to go their separate ways when Arthur took hold of the kingdom and cast his sister out. Though the people of the kingdom had doubts that Arthur was right. For a long time Morgana had done nothing wrong to them, but the fear of harmful magic outweighed any rationality.”

“Where did she go if she no longer had a home to live in?” Fulgur smiled and spread his arms out. 

“Why, she lived here of course. The manor of the dark enchantress herself.” Harry looked almost afraid to be sitting where he was. As if he had trespassed on some ancient burial ground. “My mother wasn’t the first person to ever marry one of the fair folk you know. Morgana married a rather nice man here in Tir na nÓg, he was reluctant to be with a human, but they learned to love each other over time. Her first child however, he chose to reside in the human realm, bearing offspring with a witch whose own children found their way back here.” 

Harry finished off his sandwich and wiped his mouth with his sleeve which got a pointed look from Fulgur. His face flushed and he scratched his head sheepishly. Fulgur rolled his eyes before looking at a clock across from them. “Alright kiddo it’s time to get you to bed. We’ll begin lessons tomorrow and you’ll learn to behave as a true wizard should.”

Harry slid out of his chair eagerly following Fulgur to one of the many rooms of the manor. A set of double doors opened to reveal a large bedroom with three large windows, a large four poster bed, a desk, a bookcase, and large dark curtains that seemed to block the light. Glowing crystals lined the walls and that got brighter the further they walked in. 

Fulgur pulled back a few of the bed sheets and puffed the pillow up. He patted the mattress and stood back to let Harry climb on. Said child had to jump in order to actually get up which made Fulgur smile. “If you ever want the lights to turn off you simply need to clap twice. They will not turn back on until you want them to.” Fulgur said walking towards the door.

Harry’s anxiety rose as the older man reached for the door. “Wait!” He cried out. Fulgur looked back to him in surprise before looking at the fear in the boy’s eyes. “Please don’t leave.” Harry begged. “At least until I can get to sleep. I’d rather not be alone.” Fulgur nodded, a soft look replacing his tense features. 

“Of course Harry.” He said lightly. The man walked back over to the bed and conjured a chair to sit on. Harry looked slightly embarrassed to be asking someone older than him to stay. It was childish, but that’s exactly what Harry was, a child. “Goodnight Harry.” He said quietly.

“Goodnight Fulgur.” Harry roiled with a yawn. The boy snuggled under the covers and closed his eyes. Fulgur smiled at him before clapping making the lights go dark.

In the darkness Fulgur thought back to before he saved Harry. When he'd spoken to Regiis on the school's field. Harry was locked in a broom closet under the muggles stairs. How many times had been shoved in there after chores or school forced not to eat? How many times had his family abandoned him when he was hurting? He couldn’t fathom the amount of emotional trauma Harry might have.

He knew they had starved him. It was easy to see, he used to come out of the house looking thinner and thinner each time, it was no wonder the kid was weak against the bullies he scared away. Did anyone ever try to help him then? How could a group of students get away with attacking another smaller one? Was he wrong about muggles?

After his father died he was taken in by a family of muggles. Of course they had been briefed that he wasn’t entirely human, and that, by the age of seventeen, he would be considered an adult and be allowed a home in the wizarding world. Unfortunately he was pulled out of school before he had reached adulthood. His muggle family had been slaughtered by people who claimed to be death eaters. But somehow he felt that they were not what they claimed to be. 

Their deaths felt staged, as if someone had tried to force him into the war, and so he did some digging. Someone under Dumbledore’s faction had paid for a group of mercenaries to kill his family. Hoping to use his unnatural magic abilities to gain an upper hand against the “dark lord.” Fulgur scoffed internally at the thought. They hadn’t even known what he was, the fae didn’t like to associate with wizards for obvious reasons, people like them would try to use their talents for pointless wars. 

He had nothing against wizards in general, but they were completely backwards in their ways, they could have moved forward in their use of technology just like the muggles, but oh no, couldn’t be just like those savages could they? Honestly what kind of idiots do they have to be in order to not see how far behind they are? 

Sure the fae don’t have much technology either but that’s because they had no need for it. Even if they had decided to invent something similar it would be in vain, technology didn’t work in the faerie realm. The magic here was strong enough to overpower the devices and cause problems. At least in the wizarding world a few spells could override the magic and allow the objects to work. 

The sound of soft snoring interrupted his thoughts and he looked to see Harry fully asleep. He could slip out of the room unnoticed, but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it, perhaps because he didn’t want the boy to wake up and think Fulgur had left him forever. A tense frown covered his face as he leaned back in the chair. He wouldn’t let the boy believe he was alone. He’ll have to teach those muggle relatives of his a lesson. Then, if they don’t listen, he’ll steal Harry away to live with him forever.

Though if he’s going to do that, he’ll need to find a place in the human realm to live. Then he’ll need to acquire his lordship rings from Gringotts so that he could gain access to the vaults. He let out a deep suffering sigh. There’s so much to do and so little time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions I was asked about my version of the fae realm by my own mother:
> 
> Why did you choose to use those names for the queen and king?  
> I grew up with a fascination for the Fae or rather Fair folk. So much so I begged my mother to buy me a copy of " A Midsummer Night's Dream" The fae queen in that book was named Titania and her king was Oberon. Then a few years ago I had watch an anime called "Ancient Magus Bride" and continue to read the Manga to this day. The queen and king were also named as such. 
> 
> Are the faeries you talk about in the story real?  
> Yes and No, some of the ones I have talked about are common in real life tales and history. Tree nymphs, pixies, elves, and the back dog are all from common tales told by us in the real world. There are a few, such as the Ariel, that are from my own imagination or from books and comics that I've read. There will be more of those in the future and some of them are necessary to the plot. 
> 
> What does the fae realm look like?  
> The realm is in constant twilight. Half of the sky is in eternal day time and the other half is in eternal night. During certain times of year the the sun and moon will either raise itself higher or lower but never fully set. Many of the plants are bioluminescent, glowing a blue or purple color, sometimes green depending where it's located. Its covered entirely in dense forest that blocks out the light. The trees are very large in both width and height. It is common to find animals or other Fae making use of hollows inside the trees. There is one particular tree which the queen resides in that is similar to Yggdrasil in norse mythology. Though this tree does not connect the realms to the one of the fae. Rather it supplies the entire realm with magic and life.
> 
> Are there any good or bad Faeries?  
> Well yes I suppose. The seelie and unseelie courts exist but that doesn't necessarily mean that one is good and one is bad. The fae are very different from us humans so to say they are good or bad is hard. If you're asking about whether or not they attack humans then yes there are some bad fae. Mind you not all of them do so and those that do are typically threatened or had just been insulted. Other than that the fae are rather pleasant even with their sharp tongues and quick witted thinking.
> 
> Anyway if you want to know more go ahead and ask question in the comments!


	4. The Heir LeFay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its christmas day for me and I'm feeling generous so I'm doing a double upload today! Look out of chapter five later today.

A ruler hit the table in front of Harry for the third time that day. Harry looked up at the tall fae male with exasperation in his eyes. He dared not show his true emotions on his face lest Fulgur be more upset. He looked down to his paper and cursed inwardly for being such a fool. His writing had gotten sloppier the more he had written. What once was a beautiful script became chicken scratch the further you read on. 

Harry sighed before replacing the parchment and placing his quill into its holder. He stretched his hand out letting his muscles uncramp from its writing position. Fulgur nodded before returning to reading out loud. Harry would be tasked to re-write his notes later on but continue writing new ones as Fulgur read. It was a part of his training, Fulgur had said that “one who could not read their own writing would be doomed to never understand what they’d been taught.” And it was true. Some of the earlier lessons Fulgur had given him had to be re-taught because Harry hadn’t been able to read his own handwriting. 

It had gotten much better over time, but looking back on it, his writing was terrible. He thanked mother magic that Fulgur was a kind teacher. Had it been any of his past teachers they would have moved on without him. It was something Fulgur had labeled as absolute bollocks. Which Harry had been surprised by because no one had ever expressed concern over his education. Except for maybe the one teacher who had caught him ruining his own grades in her class. 

Fulgur had been rather chuffed to realize Harry had turned one of his instructors hair blue. He’d even agreed that the lady was wrong to act the way she had and deserved her new hair. Harry smiled fondly at the memory. His new bangle glinted brightly as he wrote the next sentence.

Harry’s tenth birthday had passed months ago but Fulgur wanted to celebrate anyway, Fulgur had given him the bangle as a sign of good will, Harry didn’t say thank you, nor did he try to return it. His studying had paid off because Fulgur had grinned when he instead replied “it’s beautifully made, your generosity is most kind.” The fae didn’t take kindly to the word “thanks” as it is seen as disrespectful and dilutes their act of kindness or whatever they had done for you.

He’d also learned to say exactly what he was thinking as the fae mean everything they say. The tongue holds power in the realm and the fae are known tricksters so it is best to listen to what they’re speaking as they might be saying more than they let on.

Fulgur paused in his lecture as he stared at the time. He hummed in thought before placing a mark in his book and placing it on the desk in front of Harry. “We’re late for lunch, we’ll eat first, then continue the lesson from yesterday.” Harry nodded, placing his quill down and getting up from his seat. 

They walk down the long corridors to the dining room where a couple of plates have already been set out for food. Regiis is curled comfortably by the fireplace where the sound of wood squeaks as the flames engulf it. Regiis looks up at them before opening his mouth in a large yawn. He’d chosen to grow into his full size so he could stretch out but whenever he was cold he’d shrink down and sit next to the fire. 

Harry smiled softly to his friend—now known as familiar— when Regiis sent him a feeling of content and sleepiness. It was a new development between the two of them. Harry could now feel what Regiis did. It made it much harder for him to hold back his emotions but he would have to live with it. When they’d officially bonded Harry had felt like he was breathing in new life. 

When a familiar bonded with their chosen witch or wizard it was like sharing a soul. The two melded into one another allowing them to understand each other in ways a normal person wouldn’t. Their magic merged as one and Harry had a feeling as if a blanket of silk wrapped around him, for Regiis it felt as if the sun had shined down upon him.

It was so warm, as if blanketed by life, the magic itself wasn’t even normal in appearance, taking on a shadowy look rather than an actual color. The shadows around the manor themselves had seemed to move and undulate whenever Harry used his magic. For Fulgur however, the magic was bitingly cold, as if the hand of death had grasped his own. It was both terrifying and amazing and he felt proud of Harry.

Fulgur had taken an interest in the type of magic he had. His Ravenclaw side showed through his mask as he raced around his manor’s library looking for books about magic types. He only stopped when he rounded a corner into the dark magic section.

Upon finding a book that described Harry’s own magic they’d been confused. According to the book it seemed to be Shadow magic, a form of magic long thought dead. Along with those who practiced necromancy, shadow casters were thought to be evil by light magic users, so in an attempt to wipe them out, the light casters executed them and destroyed all books pertaining to any knowledge of their existence.

It was lucky that none of them had gotten to the manor. Morgana had been lucky enough to have hidden her home in Tir na NÓg. The library was expansive and full of books the likes of which no one else had. Now Harry could learn to harness his magical abilities. 

Harry took the last bite of his meal before pushing it away from him. Fulgur looked at his plate before nodding approvingly. For some reason Fulgur seemed to be more concerned about his eating habits. He made Harry eat bigger portions than normal and it was very disconcerting. It was as if he knew something Harry didn’t. Which in all honesty is probably true. Fulgur knew a lot that Harry didn’t so it wouldn’t surprise him if the older male was preparing him for something.

The empty plates lifted from the table and floated away from the room silently. Harry watched them turn the corner into the kitchen before following Fulgur back to the training room. A room that was used as both a class room and a magic practice area. The walls and floor were padded with a cushioning charm, the windows were also charmed to never break, so hopefully Harry won’t be falling out any time soon. Fulgur lifted his hand slightly, the table and desk slid across the floor, the chair sliding after them. 

Harry sat in the center of the room and closed his eyes. He evened out his breathing and waited for Fulgur to begin. “I want you to release all thoughts in your head. Let nothing but the sound of my voice fill it.” Harry released a long breath and settled his tensed muscles. The feeling of Regiis sliding around him didn’t even come to the forefront of his mind as he let the smooth baritone of Fulgur’s voice guide him through his meditation. 

“Now I want you to reach out with your magic. Feel the bond with Regiis.” Harry allowed his magical core to release itself, the magic pouring out of his body like waves, shadows swam around his head reaching in every direction. Harry grasped the magic letting it flow through his fingers, following it to his familiar who’s own magic reached out, the two Magic’s connected and Harry could suddenly see what Regiis saw. 

Fulgur entered his vision and Harry nodded to let him know they were connected. “Good now I want you to remember this feeling. Pull your magic back in and open your eyes.” Harry disconnected from Regiis and snapped his eyes open. He blinked away the blurriness, not quite used to looking with his glasses after seeing through Regiis’ eyes. “I want you to reconnect with him without meditation, learn to moderate your magic output with him, then we will have a mock battle.” Harry nodded, locating his core, he reached out again.

It was much harder to do this time, in meditation he could see his magic, almost feel it as if he was touching it. But now he had no grasp on it. Fulgur noticed his struggling but opted not to say anything. It’s with his eyes open that he realizes how his magic affects his surroundings. The shadows in the room grew longer, darker, the room itself seemed to lose some light. It was interesting to see, and Harry reached out to them, as if they would come and latch onto him. 

What surprised both himself and Fulgur was that they did come to him. The darker shadows had slid up his body engulfing him in darkness. The room became brighter but the shadows remained. He looked around himself and gasped. The shadows rolled off his body like a black fog, it covered him from head to toe, like a hooded cloak. Then it seeped into his skin like water into a sponge. He twisted around to see if any of it had been left behind only to find it had completely disappeared. 

Looking back he noticed Fulgur already looking in the book on shadow magic. Pages were skimmed and flipped one after the other until a little “aha” sound left the man's lips. “Shadow magic can be used to veil the user in shadows, to obscure them from view, or to travel across great distances. This is what is known as the cloak of shadows. Not to be confused with death's cloak worn by the youngest Peverell brother. One only needs to think of the cloak to make it appear.” He read aloud. 

Harry tilted his head before thinking about a cloak. Suddenly the shadows reappeared and Harry felt a coolness encase his body. He pulled the hood up and walked backwards into a darker area of the room. Fulgur looked at him for a moment before looking around the room as if Harry had disappeared from view. Harry looked towards the shadowy corner next to Fulgur and felt himself pulled towards the area. He looked around to find himself behind his teacher. He quietly walked out of the shadows and tapped on Fulgur’s shoulder.

The teal eyed man turned towards him so fast Harry was sure he’d gotten whiplash. There was a wild look in his eyes that made Harry shiver. It was like a mad scientist looking at his own strange creation. 

“This is astounding! You are the first shadow caster in ages. How amazing is that!?” He said excitedly. There were stars in his eyes as he took in the shadowy material around Harry. He went to touch it only to pass through it and Harry himself. Harry looked mildly perturbed by the fact that Fulgur’s hand had passed through his body. Regiis slithered over and reached his head up. Then the snake bumped its head against the cloak. Seeing that it could in fact touch the cloak it climbed up Harry’s arm and around his shoulders. 

Fulgur’s smile dropped as a thought crossed his mind, a thought he hadn’t even tried to remember, from nine years ago on the day he’d witness his queen's blessings. But it hadn’t just been his queen had it? It had been the blessing of death as well. The blessing of shadows, something that could only be given by death, so does that mean shadow casters were blessed by death themself? Perhaps that is the real reason the shadow casters had died out. Death had felt slighted by the humans who had tried to snuff out his creations. 

He’d only seen a glimpse of it in the book, but if he was right, then both Necromancers, and Shadow casters could in fact use soul magic without consequence. In other words, Harry could become immortal should he wish to do so. But even Fulgur would never wish immortality upon someone. It was a lonely existence, living when your friends and loved ones died, having to watch as the world around you changed. Fulgur grabbed the book again and began to read.

Harry had put the cloak away already, having gone back to reaching out his magic, you could tell by the sudden drop in temperature. It wasn’t dissimilar to a dementor, the shadowy cloaks were almost the same, but somehow Harry’s seemed more alive. Less like a funeral veil and more like a warm blanket that protects from the frosty chill of winter. Perhaps the dementors used to be human once. 

That thought made him stop in his tracks, perhaps there was merit to the idea, he looked to see if Harry had made progress, before slipping out of the room and walking down the corridor to the library. He skimmed the shelves for books on shadow beings or creatures, looking where he had originally found the book, there were a few books that looked like it could contain information and he pulled them out, he stacked them on the desk next to him before going back to the shelf. 

He thought about his own experience with death on the night of his queen's blessings. How death had told him he wanted Harry for something that he could not speak of. Was this what the being had meant? Did the being want to bring back what was once lost to those who had deemed him an enemy? He paused again, eyes looking at the bookcase once more.

His hand fell against a book that piqued his interest. The language of shadows, otherwise known as the language of the dead, the only way to actually communicate with death and the spirits they protect. Perhaps it is best for Harry to learn the language. It might help in controlling his own magic. 

He pulled the book down and set it next to the pile. He looked at his stack and chewed on his bottom lip. This might take a while but he’s willing to read it all anyways. He sits down at the desk and pulls the first book of the stack down to read. “Chapter one, what is a shadow creature?” 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Harry had no idea where Fulgur went, and somehow he’d been gone for weeks, the only notice that he’d been there at all had been notes written inside books that appeared on his bedside table. It was strange at first, getting these books about shadow creatures, but his curiosity got the better of him and he’d started to read them. More often than not they’re creatures that found their way across the veil. Things like dead animals are a common occurrence and are considered a shadow creature. More uncommon variants include wraiths, hags, boggarts, dementors, Inferi, and strangely, vampires. Things that are meant to be dead but somehow live are considered shadow creatures; and as such, shadow casters and necromancers can control them.

The thought of controlling a living creature was something that made Harry uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure why but the idea of controlling something with thoughts and emotions made him want to curl up on himself. Then to know he could do so by just speaking in shadow language made his throat tighten. He could understand wraiths and Inferi. But hags and vampires? How was that fair to them? 

Of course hags were notorious for eating children and other living beings but they still had conscious thoughts. Fulgur had once told him a story of how a hag had saved him from some werewolf who was unable to control himself. So not all hags were bad per say. Plus vampires weren’t exactly dead and most used to be humans in the first place. The only natural vampires were completely sentient and capable of making their own decisions. 

Despite his reluctance to use the shadow language against some creatures, the page describing the controlling of dementors caught his attention, it was filled with amazing notes about the creatures that none of the other books in the library contained. The beings were of a hive mind, each one held the knowledge of all the others, it’s what made their task of hunting down prey so easy, the knowledge was terrifying. To know that one dementor spotting you could mean an army coming after you in an instant. 

The book describes them in a shadow language phrase meaning “a taste of death.” Because when they suck the warmth from your souls it’s very close to how it feels to actually die. Then it recommended a book written by another shadow caster who had spoken to a spirit that actually describes how death feels. Harry had gone to the library to find that book immediately. But when he couldn’t find it he went back to his room. Where he found the exact book he was looking for and a note from Fulgur. 

So then dementors were like mini versions of death. Where the kiss of death didn’t actually mean true death, but rather they send your soul beyond to be seen by death themself, and if it was deemed to not be your time then death would send it back into the realm of the living. It is said that your soul does not simply live one life and move on. So when death sends your soul back, you either return to your body, or you end up in a different one to live another life. 

The shadow language itself was interesting. It wasn’t like the guttural hisses you get from Parseltongue, nor the natural sound of human voice, but rather a whisper that is just out of range while simultaneously loud enough to hear. Almost like two people are speaking at once and one happens to be quieter than the other. The language can only be spoken with the cloak on or through magic. Harry doesn’t even need to open his mouth to speak it. It’s more like a projection of thoughts into the open. Anyone can understand it but only if you let them. 

Speaking of magic usage Harry had finally managed to conquer his magic output. Regiis had to walk him through it, which was really confusing since Parselmagic was different from regular wizarding magic, but he managed it. Now he just had to figure out how to cast spells without a wand. Since he couldn’t exactly buy one in the faerie realm and he wasn’t old enough in the wizarding world. 

So instead of looking for Fulgur he found a book in the library explaining how it works. Which was really hard to comprehend because it assumed you’d learned with a wand. So when that didn’t work he looked for older books. His magic guided him to a book in the office of the library. It was hand written and when he looked at who had written it he was surprised.

Morgana LeFay had written it herself as she had learned to use magic without a wand. Notes on the general feeling of using magic wandlessly filled the pages, theories on how it could be used took up the margins, as facts filled the center space of each page. In her view you could do any magic without a wand, you only need to think of what you want done, a flick of the wrist could mean you want it done quickly, a pointed finger meant you want the magic centered accurately, while a an open palm could mean you want something powerful or heavy to be used or moved. It all depended on the person so that meant experimentation was needed to determine how it worked. 

Harry returned to the training room not long after reading the book. The closet was opened and Harry pulled out a training dummy. He was almost afraid that he might end up destroying the thing but Regiis had quelled his worries with hisses of encouragement. 

He held up his hand and slowly filled it with magic he thought about what he wanted to do. Suddenly a shadowy almost translucent beam of magic causes the dummy to flip through the air hitting the wall behind it. Harry looked from the dummy to his hand and back again. He just cast a spell, without using a wand, that was awesome! A smile creeps onto his face as his mask splits momentarily. Regiis hisses happily from his place next to Harry. Pride from the snake filled their bond making Harry scratch his head sheepishly. 

A slow clap from the doorway catches his attention as Fulgur smiles at him. Harry grins at him making Fulgur pause and stare. Harry frowns in confusion. Was there something wrong? Fulgur must have noticed his worry because he shook his head and motioned for him to follow. 

Harry followed his teacher into the sitting room. Fulgur sat in his chair with a troubled look on his face. His gaze flicked back to Harry every once in a while with concern. Then he began to speak.

“Harry there’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you-” Harry looked at the silver haired elf with worry. “You cannot stay in the fae realm.” He said after a long pause. Harry sucked in a long breath and nodded his head.

“I know, staying too long could change me.” He looked down towards the floor. “Is that why you gave me that look earlier? Is something changing already?” Fulgur hummed in confirmation making Harry sigh. The books had told him exactly what was happening. Staying in the fae realm for too long had lasting effects. One being the turning of humans to faeries. The magic of the fae realm would seep into your body, slowly transforming you from human to fae, it was common occurrence with children who’d been swapped with changelings. 

If he had to guess his teeth had changed somehow. With the way Fulgur reacted to his grin it must have been something drastic. He looked into the reflection in the window and pulled up one of his lips. As he thought, his canines had elongated into sharp points. Much like snake fangs but more human. Looking up he noticed his ears have taken on a slightly pointed look. Not enough to really be noticeable but if he stays any longer then it might change. 

“How long do I have?” He asked Fulgur. The older male looked at him before looking at the calendar next to him. The days were marked off for the human realm. The fae realm moved either faster or slower than the human one. It changed whenever it wanted. Fulgur sometimes had to leave the realm just to check the date. 

“Not long enough.” Fulgur replied. “I’d say a few weeks, then I’d have to take you back.” His voice was low, almost a growl, his other fae traits just barely showing. Harry knew what he was talking about and he hated the idea of leaving this place just to go back. To return to  _ them. _ “I won’t let them treat you poorly anymore.” He said with finality. 

Harry let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. They’d known he had to return eventually. So he wouldn’t raise suspicion in the wizarding world. Fulgur had drilled it into his head that Dumbledore was a daft fool. That the old man was never to be trusted, that Mrs. Figg was a squib spy, and that his family had been forced to look after him.

Harry glared out the window into the wide expanse of trees. His family were all monsters, they weren’t human at all, and if he’d been able to control them with shadow language then he’d tell them to roll their own heads. Regiis hissed a low angry curse when his thoughts reached the familiar. Harry ran a hand down the smooth scales of his snake and smirked at the idea of letting Regiis loose on them. Then he reigned the thoughts in as to not give the snake more fuel towards his hatred. He didn’t need his familiar getting him into trouble already.

Fulgur stood up suddenly and walked towards the door into the dining room “we’ll be continuing your training for as long as we can. I’m hoping to teach you as many spells and charms as possible. Maybe a few curses and hexes if we have time. But most importantly I’ll be teaching you the art of intimidation.” Harry’s eyebrows raised questioningly before he stood up to follow his teacher.

  
  


* * *

  
  


The art of intimidation was exactly how it sounded. It was extremely intimidating to the unsuspecting person or creature. The first time Harry had experienced Fulgur’s intimidation was fear inducing. Fulgur had watched him come into the training room and sit down at the table. Harry hadn’t even acknowledged his presence which was a big no no in wizarding etiquette as it implies you do not care for whoever is there.

Fulgur had glared pointedly in his direction before a suffocating amount of magic surrounded the both of them. Something about the magic relayed a message that Harry had complied with. His posture straightened, his eyes faced forward, and his hands were placed on the table. It was as if the magic had forced him to move on its own. 

Which, in all honesty, is exactly what it had done. In Fulgur’s words “the art of intimidation is the influx of magical power. To force someone to submit to your will. Many people with this ability use it to force others to kneel before them. Make them fear you in a way normal tactics cannot.” It was something that only some people used, and yet, it worked. So Fulgur taught him to use the art, and he taught him who else would know how.

“There are a few examples of people using it. But I will focus on two in particular. You are familiar by now with the story of Voldemort.” Harry nodded easily “he used the art as well. He chose to use it as a fear factor. To make sure his death eaters stayed in line. It didn’t always work obviously, of course those stupid enough to fight through it would find themselves on the other side of the killing curse, but it was effective.” Harry scratched down some notes in an elegant script on his parchment before staring up at Fulgur again.

“The next one is Albus Dumbledore— Yes the headmaster of Hogwarts, get that look off your face, it is unbecoming of a high class wizard such as yourself.” Harry snapped his mouth closed with an audible click of his teeth. “As I was saying, Dumbledore doesn’t use fear, but rather, a sense of awe. He displays his magic to those who would see him as a savior. Awe is very powerful indeed, as it means someone respects you, sees that you are either equal to, or more than them. I aplaude the man for his ingenuity. Even if it is misplaced.”

Harry nodded knowing quite well how much Fulgur is struggling to admit that. “How would I use this ability? I don’t want people to fear me. Nor do I want them to look at me as a savior.”

“That my dear Harry is up to you. I use my ability to inspire obedience in others. Not to make them fear me, nor to make them view me as a god among men, but to let them know I will not take whatever they plan to throw at me. I use it as a statement, I am not to be messed with, and I will attack back if you choose to ignore me.” 

Harry took a moment to think about it. Fulgur’s idea was similar to his own. He didn’t want people to be afraid of him, he just wanted to be left alone. So then when would he use it? Perhaps in retaliation to something. 

“You need not worry now, I doubt anyone will be dumb enough to mess with you so early on. I would however advise that you continue practicing how far your magic can reach. Oh, I also left another book on your bed. I think you’ll find it interesting.” Harry’s eyes brighten at the news as the rest of his face remains passive. He nods silently and Fulgur smiles back “you are dismissed.” 

Harry returns to his room on silent feet holding his folder full of notes. He casts as silent incendio to the fireplace and it immediately goes up into flames. The room heats up quite quickly after that and he lays on his bed comfortably.

The book is on his stand as Fulgur had said it would be. It was another book on shadow casting. He picks it up and opens it to the bookmarked page. What he sees is interesting to say the least.

“Conjuring messengers and other guardian beings.” He re-read the chapter title over and over again.

“Much like a patronus a spectral messenger/guardian can be summoned by using the incantation  _ Custos Umbra. _ A creature of shadow will come to your aid or deliver a message in the shadow language. Only those you wish to hear the message will understand it. 

Like the patronus the shadow creature can ward off beings of both light and shadow. Some might even say it is stronger than the patronus as the requirement in using the spell is more intense. The patronus requires a good happy memory while the Custos requires a strong emotional attachment to the memory. More often than not the strongest being that of sadness or anger. Though one of the strongest we’ve ever recorded was created using a memory invoking a feeling of trust.

It is that feeling that we believe solidifies the Custos to your magic. Because trust is such a strong feeling between partners it is assumed that the being will be stronger and more willing to protect you. The creature can be any animal or beast, it may even change often if you experience traumatic events in your life, but you should never fear whatever it becomes, because the creature is inherently dark it will turn on you if you show it fear. 

Be warned, they can and will touch you.”

The chapter stops there, but the question is, would he be able to cast such a spell? Perhaps not now. It would probably be easier if he had a wand. Something to direct his magic so that the creature could take shape. He wondered how long it could stay out before it dissipated. 

Sighing, he hears the bell-pull ring and knows it’s time for dinner. He shifts in the bed and wills for his cloak to appear. He stands up and begins walking into the shadowed corner of his room. He enters what looks like a voided area only to walk back into the light and find himself in the dining room. Fulgur glances up at him as the cloak recedes once more. It was definitely useful for moving around the manor. 

Fulgur raises his hand slightly and a platter of food floats from the kitchen to the table. He’d never once seen the other use a wand. Was he even allowed to have one if he never graduated? 

“Fulgur, I’d like to ask you a question.” Fulgur glanced at him briefly for him to continue. “Do you by chance have a wand? I’ve never seen you use it.” Fulgur pauses in transferring food to his plate. There’s a flash of worry that crosses his eyes and Harry feels almost like he intruded in some unspeakable thing.

All of the paintings in the room have ceased movement, most staring directly at them, others turning away in fear. From the largest painting with Morgana and her husband comes a voice. A very feminine one at that. Harry looks over to the painting and watches as Morgana stares down at him with a critical eye.

“We in the LeFay family have a long upheld tradition set by myself.” She began “when a child comes of age they are to make their own wand or staff. We do not use the precrafted ones from the wandmakers, we do not ask another to make it for us, we build it by hand to fit our core perfectly.” 

“I see…” was all Harry could say. It wasn’t what he was expecting at all. He didn’t realize one could make their own wand. He thought it was enforced to buy your own. 

“Ease up boy” Harry’s head shot up to stare at the man he knew was Morgana’s husband in shock. He had never spoken before so why now “it is our distrust of this new generation of wizards that forced us to create this tradition. They place trackers on the wands so that the ministry can find you. Our dear Fulgur was almost caught traversing realms with a store bought one. It is fortunate that passing through the veil erases all spells placed on an object.”

The paintings all nod at the distant memory as if it were just yesterday. “Fulgur” the man's head snaps up to meet Morgana’s gaze “I will allow the boy to learn our practice.” She says thoughtfully. “However he must become the next heir to the house of LeFay.”

Harry’s jaw dropped at the last thing she said. Heir to the house of LeFay? Is it even possible to give someone else an heirship if they weren’t related? He looks around at each of the paintings as if they might answer his questions but none of them even spoke. 

“I do believe that our branch family married a squib. One by the last name of Evans I believe.” Why did that matter? Harry thought. Though a look of understanding dawned on Fulgur’s face and he nodded stiffly. “Then the heirship shall be passed on once you gain the lord ring.” 

“Thank you, enchantress.” Fulgur said bowing low. He turned and sat back down at the table. Morgana leaves the painting with ease allowing the tense atmosphere to dissolve. Harry was looking between the paintings and Fulgur in confusion. Who were the Evans and why did they matter to the heirship? “We’ll speak about this later Harry. For now we need to eat, especially if I’ll be teaching you about wand lore.”

Harry continued to eat despite his growing concern. By the end of the meal he was feeling less than stellar but he didn want Fulgur to become fussy over his eating habits. Forcing himself out of his seat he follows Fulgur to the library. A smaller section near the back that was usually locked was now open. Fulgur grabbed a few of the books and placed them on a table.

“Now making a wand is very difficult, dangerous even, but it can be done if you know what you’re working with.” Fulgur explained “there are just some wand cores that don’t fit certain woods. And certain woods that are harder to bond with than others. Now then let’s get you started on wood. Then we’ll look at all the cores and how to handle them.” 

Fulgur sat down in the chair opposite to him and picked up a book. Harry stared at him tensely for a moment before picking up his own book. He began to tap his fingers against the table when reading didn’t quell his anxiety. He could tell it was beginning to annoy Fulgur as the man’s pointed ears would twitch every so often. It’s when Fulgur puts the book down none too gently that Harry stops.

He has a look in his eye, and his magic surrounds him, lashing out wildly in annoyance. It all but screamed for him to speak his mind. “Why am I becoming an heir and not a kid of your own?” The words fell out of his mouth without his prompting and Harry internally kicks himself for allowing it to happen.

Fulgur’s face pales slightly, he seems upset at the mention of his own child, if not a little put off. “I’m not exactly attracted to women. Nor am I attracted to many men either. If I had found a partner we wouldn’t be able to bear a child even if we wanted to.”

“What about a surrogate mother? You wouldn’t have to have an attraction to her. She would just carry the baby instead.” Fulgur shook his head. “Why not? It’s the easiest way to go about it.”

Fulgur looks up at him with pleading eyes. As if asking Harry to just leave it alone. But Harry stared back with an unyielding hardness and so Fulgur gave in. “I am infertile. I cannot produce offspring even if I wanted a child.” There, he finally said it. Finally admitted one of his most kept secrets that only few are privy to. “That being said,” he began again, “I see you as my own son, if not, at least a nephew. Which in all honesty wouldn’t be too far off given your heritage.” 

Harry’s face contorts into one of confusion. “How so? I know Morgana was talking about the branch family earlier but I don’t understand how it connects to me.”

Fulgur hums in response “our branch family the Corwen’s married into the Evans family years ago. Now both families were inherently magical but the Evans were made up of squibs who had been cast out by pureblood families to live in the muggle world. They were stripped of their last name and given the name of their matron Isabella Evans. Isabella was a foster parent who despite knowing she wouldn’t keep every child, tried her best to keep them happy, and to raise them as a good parent should.”

Harry had all but forgotten the book now as the story continues to progress “now one of her foster sons Alshain took an interest in Sylvia Corwen, unknowingly drawn to her magic, he asked to court her. I’m not exactly sure what came after but I remember they had three children. Two girls and one boy, the girls were married off to wealthy muggles south side of London, and the son Darius Alshain Evans married another squib, and the cycle continued.”

“So then how does that lead up to me? I don’t recall anyone in my family with the name Evans before.” 

“Of course you wouldn’t, you only know the last names of your family  _ after _ they were married.” Fulgur flicked out his index finger and curled it. A piece of parchment flew into his hand and he placed it down onto the table. Then he began running his finger down the list of names. “You see, before your mother became a Potter, and your aunt became a Dursley, both of them had a common name.” He slowed to a stop near the bottom of the page and turned for Harry to see it. “Before they were married their last name was Evans.” 

Harry’s jaw dropped, his mother was an Evans? But that meant he was related to the Corwen’s. Which means he was related to Fulgur. Harry grabbed the paper and re-read the list. But wasn’t his mother Muggleborn?

“Your mother was a half blood, believe it or not. Each of these names are all pure in some way or another. It was the mixing of new, non-magical blood, that caused your mother to gain her gifts in magic. I do however find it surprising that many of the names are that of squibs.”

Harry was still finding it hard to comprehend that he was in fact related to Morgana, and by extension, Fulgur as well. But then a thought occurred to him. “I’m a part faerie?” He asked aloud.

Fulgur looked at him for a moment before shrugging. “It’s a high possibility, our family had been mixing with the fae for generations. Even after years of breeding with human squibs I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a little bit of fae blood left. We are rather resilient in the bloodstream. Though you won’t know until you reach fourteen as it’s the time fae children reach maturity. If not I can just blood adopt you and that’ll help the fae ancestry kick in for sure.” He said absently.

Harry paused in his thoughts. Blood adoption? That was possible? Fulgur must have realized what he’d said because his face changed from a blank mask to one of abject horror. “I am so sorry Harry. I should never have brought that idea up in the first place. You barely even know me and yet I dared to suggest such an idea—”

“Fulgur it’s okay!” Harry cut him off quickly. “In all honesty I wouldn’t mind it. You’ve been more of a family to me than my own blood relatives. If you asked to become my guardian I wouldn’t say no, but I’d like some time to think it over first.” Fulgur nodded, still flustered that he’d spoken such a thought out loud.

“Perhaps we should study wand lore a different day?” Fulgur suggests. Harry puts on a tired but grateful smile and nods sheepishly. “Alright then, off to bed with you. We have much to do in the coming weeks.”

Harry stands up and Fulgur goes to follow but Harry puts his hand up. “It’s okay Fulgur, I think I’ll try sleeping alone tonight. I’ll have to get used to it if I’m going to be staying at Hogwarts without you.” Surprise flashes across the man's face before he smiles and nods. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Harry, May mother magic bless your dreams tonight.”

“As well as yours.” Harry responds.

* * *

  
  


“Harry Potter I swear to the mother that I will come up there if you don’t get down here in the next minute!” Fulgur yells from the entrance way to the manor. The shadows surrounding the area darken for only a moment before Harry stumbles out of a dark corner. His cloak recedes when Fulgur gives him a pointed look. 

The two of them had spent the last three weeks training Harry in all ways possible. Fulgur the poor guy had inevitably just given Harry his past school books which were filled with notes. The notes were detailed in a way Harry could understand, Fulgur was great for lectures, but sometimes it’s better to just let Harry sit down and read on his own time. 

They finished up the wizarding etiquette studies, Harry managed to cast a few harder spells silently, and he could recite all wood types and cores from his wand lore textbook. Fulgur was proud to say the least. He would make a fine heir to any wizarding household. Though obviously he had no intentions of letting anyone adopt Harry but himself. The thought makes him pause for a second. Perhaps he’s a little too attached to the kid right now, he doesn’t even know how to care for himself, how could he possibly take care of a child? 

Maybe he was jumping too far ahead, adoption probably wasn’t the first thing he should jump to, change of guardianship? Absolutely. But adopting him immediately seemed like a bad idea. He wondered if he could do that today. The two of them did need to go to Gringotts to get into their vaults. It would stand to reason that they could ask the goblins to transfer guardianship over to him. After all, whoever is Harry’s magical guardian is obviously doing a rather poor job. 

Fulgur held out his arm and Harry grabbed ahold of it. Fulgur shifted on his left leg and a rip in the veil opened up. He pulled Harry through and walked out into the human realm. He looked over at Harry who looked slightly queasy. So veil travel didn’t sit well with him, but shadow travel did, how interesting. 

He pulled Harry behind him and walked swiftly to Gringotts. They had much to get done today if Harry wished to make his own wand before going back to that, that  _ prison.  _ Fulgur growled at the idea of sending the child back. But he knew it must be done, at least until he finds himself a home that Harry can stay in, then he can have full custody of the child. 

He climbs the stairs to the wizarding bank and reaches for the door. Harry is reading the inscription on them with wonder. It’s nice to see him so open in his curiosity. When he’d first met the boy, he was closed off, as if Fulgur would somehow hurt him despite saving his life. But now he no longer feels the need to hide himself around Fulgur and that makes the older man's heart swell with pride.

The doors open and Fulgur guides Harry into the main hall. Goblins surround them on all sides, writing away on their parchment, none bothering to look up. Fulgur walks up to one with his head held high and a regal look on his face. The goblin sneers before looking up from his parchment. It only takes one look at Fulgur for the goblins' face to lose all color. 

“I- I apologize sir, I did not realize one of the fair folk would be visiting today. Please forgive my poor attitude.” Fulgur let’s the frown on his face lighten just a smidge. This seems to relax the goblin as he finally looks directly into Fulgur’s eyes. “How can I help you today?”

Other goblins in the room have slowed down in their writing to catch a glimpse of the fae that had entered their bank. Just to see if they are truly what they portray. “The visit was last minute. I need to claim my lordship ring and pass on my heirship to another member of the family.” He says, glancing down to Harry. 

The goblin leans over the large desk to look at Harry before sitting back again. “I can call forth Mr. Potter's vault manager and Lankast if you wish.” Some of the goblins seemed to inhale rather violently at the name. Harry wasn’t sure if it was because of his own name or the goblins name. For all he knew it could be both.

“That is acceptable, though I must say discretion is key in this meeting. No one must know what went on here today.” The goblin nodded quickly. It disappeared for a minute before reappearing on the other side of the desk. 

“Follow me if you will, they are awaiting your presence.” The goblin bows before swiftly walking to a door near the back of the room. Fulgur grabs Harry’s hand once again before following the short goblin through the door and into a long hallway with many doors.

“Fulgur I’m confused.” Harry said.

“How so?” 

“I thought the goblins hated wizards and elves. How come they seem afraid of you?” 

Fulgur smiled at his curiosity before speaking. “The goblins do have a dislike towards wizards; that is true, many wars between the two are a testament to that. But the elves you’re thinking of are house elves. We are not completely different, our magic coming from the mother herself, but house elves need a conduit to use magic. The contract between wizard and house elf is the only way they can use their own magic.” Fulgur scoffed at the mere idea of it. “To the goblins it is disgusting how a creature that used to be of the fae could be bred as a slave by wizards.”

“So house elves used to be different?” Fulgur gave him a curt nod which Harry took as a yes but an annoyed one. “I see but that doesn’t explain why they fear you.”

Fulgur hummed in thought “well goblins used to be classified as a race of fae. But their greed caused a great deal of trouble between the courts. Both the seelie and unseelie courts were tense with each other and it was the want for power and money that caused the goblins to start a war between the two. If my history is correct they attempted to blame the unseelie court for stealing the seelie queen's crown. It was this act that caused mother magic to cast them out of the fae realm forever.”

“So then wouldn’t they be angry rather than fearful? I feel like that was rather tame compared to what could’ve happened.”

“Oh but that wasn’t all that happened Harry. Both the courts were unhappy with the goblins so in retaliation they took everything from the goblins and when the goblins tried to fight them mother magic put her foot down. The effect? The slaughtering of half the goblin population. It became known that if a goblin tried to attack any fae, they would be immediately killed along with anyone from that goblin's bloodline.”

“That’s-“ Harry’s face had twisted into one that seemed sick “that’s so much death. Why would mother magic do such a thing?”

“Because we disobeyed her one rule in the realm.” Harry jolted at the voice of a goblin. He looked up to see that they had entered a room with two other goblins. The one from before slipped out, closing the door behind him.

“The fae realm has a set of rules, many created by the queen, but one was created by magic herself.” Fulgur started. ““Those who have it may not use my gift of magic to serve their own selfish desires. But rather to protect and uphold their people’s belief.” The fae use magic yes, but more often than not, it is for their people. Yes the seelie and unseelie court often fight. Yes the two courts use magic to fight each other. But it is with the intent to prove their beliefs. The goblins only wished to use their magic to cause panic and harm, to gain power and wealth, not for their people but for themselves. It is that which made Mother magic banish them from her lands.”

The goblins seemed slightly uncomfortable but said nothing to stop Fulgur from speaking. “Now then I do believe we have business to attend to.” He says pasting on a smile. “Lankast has been my vault keeper for years. He is also my most trusted advisor. I do hope that yours is as well.” There was a sharpness to his voice that made the goblin on the left shrink back in fear. 

The goblin on the right gave his partner a shit eating grin before sitting behind his desk and pulling out documents. Harry slowly took one of the seats across from him afraid he might do something to upset the goblins. Though with Fulgur here it seems like a very weak threat. 

“Yes, it’s very good to see you heir LeFay. I’ve been awaiting this day for ages. To think the heirship would be passed to the boy who lived how astounding. Don’t you agree Bogrod?” 

The other goblin scrambled up next to what Harry assumes is Lankast nodding his head. “Yes, yes it’s definitely something to remember. I uh, I have to ask, does your magical guardian know of this?” Fulgur’s face fell into a frown and the goblin gulped in fear. 

“His guardian is the worst I’ve ever known. Has never checked on the boy even once. Left Harry here, in an abusive home, is that what a guardian does? At least if I were the guardian I’d put those people in their place. But seeing as I do not have guardianship over him he has to return to such a dreadful environment.” He seethed, the goblin's face blanched as he scrambled to ease the fae man.

“Is there a way to switch guardianship over to Fulgur?” Harry asked pleadingly. He didn’t want to go back to the Dursleys. He didn’t want to return to their daily beatings and their refusal to give food. If it was possible he’d change the guardianship that day.

Lankast and Bogrod shared tense looks with each other. Bogrod leaned down to whisper quietly which made Fulgur’s skin prickle in irritation. Who could possibly hold the title of magical guardian?

Lankast spoke up after a minute of debating “I apologize Mr. Potter, but the title of magical guardian was placed on someone that we cannot take the title from.” He sounded so broken when he said it. It was something Harry couldn’t comprehend. In all his readings goblins were said to be sadistic greedy creatures who cared not for others but themselves. But this was clearly the opposite of that. Was Fulgur’s presence alone enough to change their attitude altogether?

“Of course it would be that slimey, arrogant, good for nothing bastard!” Harry Looked at Fulgur bewildered. The man had never raised his voice once unless from another room. “How did Dumbledore get his hands on the Puer Noctis?” The goblins' faces lit up at the title looking between Fulgur and Harry. Did everyone know about the prophecy?

Lankast spoke first, “The man had come in to look for anyone who could care for young Potter. But seeing as many of the people listed as guardians were indisposed he had to claim guardianship himself. Since Mr. Potter was listed as a future student at Hogwarts, Dumbledore chose to take on the title, it is the headmaster's duty to provide for the students who have no family, home, or money.” Lankast had a sour look on his face when he said that.

Bogrod stepped forward and bowed slightly before speaking up “It is my fault that this has happened. As I am the Potter Vault manager and record keeper it was my responsibility to make sure Mr. Potter was placed into the right hands. My sincerest apologies.” The goblin looked to be in pain, as if apologizing was the worst possible crime.

Fulgur waved his hand in dismissal “Don’t apologize it is unsightly to see a goblin doing so.” The goblin perked up, its confusion evident on its face. Lankast smirked at his associate “what I want to know is how he was placed with his muggle relatives. Magic hating muggles at that.”

Bogrod seemed to think for a moment until a deep frown set into his face. Harry didn’t like that look, it meant something was wrong, and obviously whatever it was wasn’t good.

“I must confess, my memory of the meeting with the man is hazy. It’s as if I was put into a trance.” The frown turned into a glare as the goblin seemed to catch on “the man used an imperius curse on me. Perhaps an obliviate as well.” The shadows in the room grew darker, making Lankast glance into the darkness for a moment. Harry had a cold look in his eyes.

“If we were to remove whatever he’s done to you, would it be possible to revoke his guardianship?” Fulgur asked desperately. Lankast and Bogrod both shook their heads. Lankast grabbed a folder and slid it over to Fulgur. 

“The paperwork was signed in blood, magic has already taken hold, if we try to revoke it, then as the paper states, Potter will have his magic sealed until he comes of age to take on new guardianship.” The room's light flickers before being cast into near darkness.

“This makes no sense.” Harry says coldly. The shadows surrounding him have reached up his body. Grasping at his clothing and clinging to his skin. His eyes glowed a green reminiscent of death's own eyes. Fulgur inhales sharply as he recalls his night with the being. Icy cold air surrounds them as Harry breathes through his anger. 

“How can anybody look up to him? If he can’t even take care of one student then how can he care for an entire school!?” He asks, pacing the room. “What right does he have to tamper with another’s mind? What right does he have to control what isn’t his? This makes no sense!” 

The shadows lash out against the walls, tearing through the paint, shaking the room. The two goblins are looking at him in awe. What power this child wielded, what amazing displays of control, any other child would have let the shadows take hold of them, made them destroy all around them, turned their mind to mush under its immense weight. 

“To think just a boy could wield deaths cloak so well.” Harry paused in his pacing. Fulgur also snapped out of his stupor, his head snapping towards them fast enough you could hear his neck crack. Lankast blinked at their sudden change in demeanor. “Yes?”

“You said death's cloak.” Harry replied. “But all of the books we’ve read called it the cloak of shadows.” Bogrod nodded numbly.

“Ah yes, I can see where the confusion stems from now.” He begins. “The cloak of shadows is very similar to death's cloak. Shadow Casters are in fact known to be blessed by the being themself. Though the casters were only able to create a bastardized version as only death could recreate it perfectly.”

“But I thought death’s cloak was given to the last Peverell brother. Is it different somehow?” 

“Very much so, according to our ancestors, the cloak was made specifically to Ignotus Peverell’s standards. He only asked that the cloak would hide him from everyone including death. It in no way was a perfect recreation of death's own cloak. In fact it was deemed an invisibility cloak instead.” A look of understanding dawned on Harry’s face before the kid began to pace again.

“These shadow casters, we’ve been studying them, as well as necromancers. Are they what you would label as death’s children?” Fulgur asked leaning forward. There was a glint in his eyes, one that told of his thirst for knowledge. Harry had one similar but it was not nearly as strong as the fae’s. 

“Yes I would call them so. Before death was trapped into the realm of the dead many people worshipped them. Those worshippers went on to become death’s children, people who helped souls pass through the veil, both in and out. Shadow Casters were well known to guide the souls into the realm while necromancers led them back out.”

“I could see necromancers being deemed dark or evil but why Shadow casters? What made them so horrifying that people thought to slaughter them?” The two goblins shared a rather troubled look before they both answered.

“Necromancers brought people back to life. Shadow casters took lives.” The room went silent. Harry’s pacing stopped as he stared horrified at the two goblins.

“I- I don’t want to take lives!” Harry exclaimed. “That’s the opposite of what I want!” The goblins scrambled to ease Harry’s thoughts. Lankast scrambling to grab something from his desk. Then suddenly a large tome settled on the top. The cover was written in a language Fulgur couldn’t quite decipher.

Lankast skimmed through the book before pointing to a page. “You don’t have to take lives Mr. Potter but it is something you  _ can  _ do. The book states that shadow casters are able to use the  _ Touch of death.  _ Much like dementors and the Kiss. It is not required but you should know, should you inherit the ability, you will probably be able to tell when someone is close to death.”

Harry stares at the book seeming to read the language written on the page. Before he reached for it. Then as if thinking better of it he pulled his hand back. “This book, can I borrow it?” He asks warily. The goblins look at him dumbly before Bogrod let’s out a boisterous cackle. 

“Borrow the book? You must be joking!” Lankast replies with a large grin on his face. Harry’s own face flushes red. “This book belongs to you.” Lankast pushes the book towards Harry. “It belonged to Ignotus and was put under a contract that should anyone of his descendants be able to read it, it belonged to them.” 

“Read it? Why wouldn’t anyone be able to read it. It’s all in English isn’t it?” Harry asked. The boy looked over at Fulgur with confusion in his eyes. Fulgur shook his head.

Harry grabbed the book off the desk before it suddenly turned to shadow and disappeared into his skin. So it was able to be summoned just like his cloak then? He looked back at the goblins and to Fulgur before calmly pulling all his shadows into himself and sitting down. 

The room brightened as the lights flickered back to life. Harry seemed to have noticed how much damage he’d cause because he looked around the room with a grimace before staring at his lap in shame. 

“Please excuse my actions earlier, it was unbecoming of me to act out on my frustrations. Perhaps we should get back on track with what we came here for?” Bogrod and Lankast shrugged before pulling out a page from the folder Lankast had handed Fulgur. 

“Now the document was written in blood so we cannot change it. However we are able to take liberties with it.” Fulgur’s eyes brightened at the prospect while his face remained neutral. “Harry cannot change guardians until he is fifteen.” Harry sighed “however that doesn’t mean he can’t gain an heirship. If I recall you wanted him to take your place?” 

Fulgur nodded “yes, it was a request from the enchantress herself.” Lankast looked at Harry seemingly impressed. 

“As the lord of the house you are allowed to have custody for a month. As it is customary that you teach your heir how to run the house in case of your sudden demise.” He looks at Fulgur before skimming the page once more. “You are also allowed to open a vault for him should he be unable to access his own.”

“I see, and this one month, will it still be active after I’ve passed on heirship today? I’ve kept him for quite a while now.” The goblins grinned and nodded their heads. “Perfect, then I’d like to get started on the process.” He said smoothly. 

Lankast nodded opening another drawer that Harry could now see looked like a bottomless pit. The goblin reached his hand in before yanking out a decorative box. He placed the box on the desk as Bogrod conjured a piece of parchment that began to print words by itself. Another parchment appeared before the box and Lankast looked at it. 

“It seems Harry is already on the list of possible Heirs. Third on the list actually, it seems you have LeFay blood running in your veins Mr. Potter. And with LeFay blood comes the blood of the fae.” Harry shuddered at the sharp look Lankast directed towards him. “Should you physically present your fae ancestry at the age of fourteen, we will provide you with all the information about your lineage, including any changes that will appear over time.”

Fulgur waves his right hand over the box and it creaks open on its own. A ring suddenly appears on Fulgur’s middle finger as another ring glows from the box. Fulgur slips the ring off and places it in the box. He gently grabs the new ring and lifts it up.

“I Fulgur Argenti LeFay swear by my blood and magic to protect my house from all who wish to harm, claim, or conquer it. By the mother's blessings, as Lord of this house, I will uphold its foundations, and carry on its teachings. So mote it be.” He places the ring around his finger and watches as it flashes bright blue before shrinking down to fit his finger. 

“Another successful Lordship for the house of LeFay. Congratulations Lord LeFay, you may now pass on your heirship.” Fulgur nodded, then grabbed his old heir ring and turned towards Harry. 

“You don’t have to say anything unless you want to. Now hold out your hand.” He said and Harry held out his right hand. “I Fulgur Argenti LeFay, Lord of the house of LeFay, nominate Harrison James Potter as the heir of our most ancient and prestigious house.” He paused looking at Harry who was twitching.

Harry opened his mouth to speak “I Harrison James Potter accept the title of heir to the most ancient and prestigious house of LeFay. I swear by my magic to honor the teachings of my house to the best of my ability. May the blessings of the mother protect us in our times of need.”

“So Mote it be” they said as one. The ring glowed a bright deathly green before shrinking to fit into Harry’s finger. 

The first thing Harry noticed was the clarity of everything around him. His hearing was crystal clear, his sense of smell was stronger, but somehow his eyes got blurrier. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Then he looked around in awe. His once blurred vision was crystal clear. Not a single blurred edge around him. Fulgur seemed to notice his growing excitement and smirked at his behavior. 

The second thing he noticed was the magic that had suddenly invaded his core. It poked and prodded his own magic, as if trying to understand what it was, then his magic stirred and the two separate Magic’s swirled into one. It settled into a gentle hum of energy with soft pitter patters of magic spiking every now and then. Like the sound of rain hitting the top of a roof during a light storm. 

“I see that Heir Potter-LeFay has encountered the magical healing properties of the LeFay ring.” Lankast said suddenly. Harry blinked at the sudden voice invading his senses before looking back at Fulgur and the goblins. They were much more crisp with his new vision. No more fuzzy outlines or partially blurred features. A serene smile graced his features as he looked back down at the ring. 

“Heir Potter May come back once he is fifteen for the Potter and Black rings. It is unfortunate that I could not get them to you sooner.” The goblin once again bows and Harry is reminded that these goblins are much nicer than how the books portray them. 

“Wait, the Black ring?” Harry asked, confused. 

“Yes, your godfather, Sirius Black, is the current lord. Since you were named his godson you are first in line to take the heir ring. If you choose to deny the ring it will go on to the next of kin. Though even without the title of godson you would be fourth in line for the ring.” Even Fulgur has leaned forward with this information. “Your grandmother Dorea Potter was once a member of the black family. As such you are blood related to them.” 

Harry’s face lit up “brilliant!” He exclaimed. “Imagine the amount of seats I have on the Wizengamot. I could probably sway a vote to go my way with the seats of each house.” Lankast guffawed at his explanation.

“Spoken by a true pureblood!” He said with a toothy smile. Fulgur and Harry looked at each other with amused looks. “I see you’ve begun teaching him already.” Fulgur nodded before looking at the time and sucking in a large breath. 

“Oh dear, we’ve been here for over an hour. We still have to go down to the vault and grab some money for your wand supplies.” He says swiftly getting up. “Wait! Lankast is it possible to make this meeting private? So that  _ no one  _ knows we were ever here?” 

Lankast gave him a toothy grin “but of course Lord LeFay.” He digs back into his desk and pulls out two small bags. “I would also suggest this for your money issue. It gets tedious having to come back here all the time. This will hold up to five-thousand Galleons at a time. Just add a drop of blood and no one can open it but you. Of course you only need to pay twenty Galleons each.”

Fulgur sighs in relief and grabs the bags signing the paper Lankast suddenly put on the desk. “It was nice doing business with you Lankast.” He said before looking over to the other goblin “It was also nice to finally meet you Bogrod. Please get those charms removed from you at the soonest convenience. I’d like a detailed explanation of what went on.”

“Of course.” Bogrod replied.

“May mother magic bless you and protect you and your own for all your days and all your nights.” Lankast said with a low bow. 

Fulgur bowed as well before replying “and may the goddess bless your gold to flow and prosper for years to come.” He stood back up and grabbed Harry’s hand. He led the two of them back to the entrance and out of the double doors. “Now then where would I find a place to buy wand materials?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to look out for chapter 5!   
> Also I will try to answer any questions you have unless there's a possibility of spoilers.


	5. The Wand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I write this now as Antioch Peverell eldest son, the wand can be taken by a new master, as long as the new owner has bested the other in a duel. I write this in hopes that any Peverell descendant try to obtain the wand once more. I ask that they please, please, destroy the wand, it is much too dangerous to be in the wrong hands.”

The search for a shop that held the materials for a wand was a bust. At every turn they were told that no one sold the woods or cores anymore. The only people to have the objects were the Wandmakers in both Diagon and Knockturn Alley. A fact that had drastically changed the grin on Fulgur’s face into a deep set frown. 

Harry himself was quite worried, he had been looking forward to making his own wand, as he was told “The perfect wand is the one where the materials choose you. Never the other way around.” Perhaps he should just buy his own.

“I suppose we have no other choice. We’ll have to ask a Wandmaker for supplies.” Fulgur didn’t sound too happy about it. Something about the fact wands were mass produced for people irked the fae in a way Harry couldn’t understand. But he didn’t dwell on the thought as Fulgur guided him down the road to a quaint little store named “Ollivanders.”

A small bell rang as they entered the shop. The smell of wood and dust filled his senses as he walked into the entrance. The sound of shuffling caught his attention and he watched as an older gentleman walked out from behind a shelf. Fulgur cleared his throat and the man's head snapped up to meet them. His eyes were slightly glazed over until recognition set in. 

“Ah, Mr. Potter, I’ve waited many years to see you walk into this store of mine. Here for a wand I presume?” Harry glanced at the man briefly before looking at Fulgur. Fulgur stepped forward with a calculating look.

“We were actually wondering if we might be able to borrow some materials from you.” He said smoothly. The older man—he assumes is Ollivander— looks startled for the briefest of moments. Then he nods beckoning them over.

“It’s been many years since a LeFay has stepped into the presence of my family. I find myself quite surprised.” He admits, walking swiftly past rows upon rows of boxed wands. Some wands seemed to react to Harry’s presence but overall settled as he walked away. “It is no wonder you would be here for materials, no one sells them anymore, a law passed seven years ago prohibiting the use of any wand not produced by a licensed Wandmaker.”

Fulgur’s face scrunched up in irritation “a terrible choice on their part. The art of making a wand is sacred and invaluable. How can anyone find a perfect wand if they themselves don’t make it?”

Ollivander hummed in agreement “I wholeheartedly agree Mr. LeFay. I always say the wand chooses the wizard. My family used to make custom made wands for many of my customers until the Wizengamot asked that my father and I mass produce them.” He said opening a door into a small workshop. 

Shelves lined the walls, filled with materials Harry had never even seen before, unfinished wands filled a chest under the workbench, where a solid block of wood sat next to a piece of parchment littered with wand designs. There was no doubt that Mr. Ollivander was a Wandmaker. Harry peered at the shelves, drawn to a few woods, then he felt someone staring at him. 

“I see Mr.Potter has an eye for the more wild woods. Hard to master but most definitely powerful.” Ollivander eyed him with a glint in his eyes. “Perhaps his own wand will be one that others find most unique.” He turns towards Fulgur and hands over a small note. “In case anyone questions who made the wand. This will tell them it was made by me so you don’t find yourselves in trouble.”

Harry steps up next to Fulgur as Ollivander sweeps around the room grabbing all kinds of woods and cores. The older man sets them on his work bench carefully, making sure to keep everything at least two inches apart. Harry looks at them curiously before Ollivander blocks his path. 

“These materials are not the cheapest I must admit. I have a very limited supply so I ask that Mr. Potter find his perfect materials here.” Fulgur nods understandably “I also require a small payment.” Fulgur goes to grab his coin purse before Ollivander cuts him off “no money please. I would like to see your own wand. So that I know these materials are going to someone who knows how to use them.” 

Fulgur inhales sharply then gives a curt nod. Suddenly a wand materializes in Fulgur’s hand. The wand is placed gently into Ollivanders own hands who lifts it up to his eyes as if he were touching a priceless artifact.

The wood is a light honey color, deep set swirls seemed to be filled with a blue-green substance, the handle had an intricately carved Gordian knot on the bottom. “Hawthorn wood, eleven inches, rather whippy, a core I am unfamiliar with, and filled with turquoise.” The man states bluntly. Then he looks to Fulgur with a questioning gaze.

“Occamy Feather, I find it’s a very protective core, powerful with charms, and great with healing spells.” He says grabbing the wand back. “The turquoise was a gift from my mother.”

“I see, using the magical benefits of gems and minerals, a dangerous choice but a great benefit. I assume it’s a tradition in your family?” Fulgur nodded letting his wand fade into his sleeve. “Turquoise is known to strengthen a wand core. A very good choice as the core is very defensive. I have no doubts you can cast a very strong shield charm.” 

Harry tugged at Fulgur’s sleeve, making the Fae stare down at him. “Right, Harry if you hold out your hand, and just run your magic over the materials, they will respond.” Harry nods trotting up to the materials in fascination. They are just small samples but he can feel the power radiating from each of them. 

He held his hand over the woods first, pulsing his magic outwards, the woods started to rattle at first before a few crumbled into ash, others flew off the table, and three of them just outright disappeared. Three options were left, holly, yew, and ebony. Harry moves his hand over to the holly for a moment. It began to heat up underneath his hand, sending what felt like fire into his own magic, then it suddenly died out as if no longer interested. Harry blinked in surprise, what had made the wood change its mind?

Not one to dwell for too long he moved his hand over to the Yew, his magic pulsed excitedly as the wood caressed it, the yew shivered violently on the table before lifting itself into his hand. It was light and cold, not in a freezing sense, but similar to a cold drink of water during a hot summer day. It felt right in his palm but he felt as if he were missing something. He placed the wood back onto the workbench and hovered his hand over the ebony. 

Much like the yew the Ebony also shot into his hand. It was heavy and very warm, not like the holly, but like a warm blanket on a cold night. Once again he felt like he was missing something. He put the wood back and stared at the two of them. Then an idea popped into his head. He held out both hands and the pieces flew into them. His magic stuttered, then it began to sing, the warmth of the ebony mixing with the chill of the yew. Encompassing his magic like a protective cloak. Much like the feeling his own cloak gives him. 

“Both of them,” he said at last. “The two of them together feel right. I don’t know why but it does.” 

Ollivanders eyes shone brightly as a smile grew on his face “it has been many years since someone has mixed two wand woods together. But for it to be wands of opposite color is astounding. Like yellowed bones against a backdrop of shadows. I have no doubt this will be a most unique wand. Now then, please look over the cores.” He says pointing to the line of cores. 

Harry begins to wave his hand above the cores when each of them whiz away as if scared. Two sit on the workbench unfearful and Harry coughs in embarrassment. Perhaps his magic was a tad scary to some. 

“Ah Phoenix feather and rougarou hair. Both very powerful with one being a core for the dark arts. Perhaps today we will see a double core!” Ollivander states excitedly. Harry is beginning to think the man is having way more fun than he should. He runs his hand over the Phoenix feather and it perks up slightly before bursting into flame. “Ah how unfortunate I suppose it was too much to wish for.”

Harry rolls his eyes before running his hand along the rougarou hair. It floats up and twists around his fingers like a snake. It seems to like him but for some reason he feels nothing from it. It seems to sense this then slides away from him. How odd, none of the cores reacted positively to him. He frowns slightly before a gentle hiss catches his attention. It seems Regiis has finally woken from his long nap. 

_“Perhaps I could be of assistance?”_ He says. Harry looks at him wide eyed then nods. Ollivanders own eyes widen as he watches the snake slide down onto the floor and begin growing. 

Regiis grows to almost full size before he has to stop because of the room's limitations. He’s coiled up as tightly as he can be as he looks down at Harry with his bright emerald eyes. The feathers along his spine and around his head gleam in the low light of the room. His feathers fluff up as he opens his mouth and drops something onto the floor. 

Ollivander gasps quietly as Harry picks the item up. “How curious, a Quetzalcoatl fang, freely given for a wand.” Ollivander looks at Regiis with hesitation. “A beautiful Quetzal at that, as his name implies a plumed serpent, it has the most gorgeous feathers I’ve ever seen. Similar yet different from the occamy.” Regiis preens at the praise, rubbing his head into the old man's hand in thanks. 

All eyes turn to Harry whose eyes are closed with a blissful expression on his face. Yes, this is what he’s been looking for. His magic surrounds the fang claiming it as his own and the fang exudes a feeling of acceptance, power, and balance. “This is what I needed.” He states with a smile on his face. He places his forehead against Regiis’ maw in thanks. Regiis hisses happily and shifts his feathers up and down. 

“I hope you will return to show me your wand.” Ollivander says moving around the room and pulling out larger blocks of wood and placing them into a box. “There should be enough in there to make multiple wands should you mess up the first few times. Good luck Mr. Potter.” He leads them back to the front of the shop and waves them off with a happy look on his face. 

Regiis has shrunk down once again and wraps himself around Harry’s neck. Harry checks to make sure his scar is covered with his hair and sighs in relief when it is. How did Ollivander know who he was? He’d never said anything beforehand. He exits his thoughts and finds himself in an area he didn’t remember entering. He’s surrounded by books as far as the eye could see. Fulgur is grabbing many from a shelf to the left of him.

“Not to worry Harry I’m just grabbing your school books early. The mother knows your muggle relatives won’t do it for you.” There’s no bite to the sentence but Harry knows Fulgur loathes the fact that he has to send Harry back. Hell, Harry loathes the idea. But as much as he hates it he knows he has to. He’s not sure how his family will react and that scares him more than anything. 

Fulgur looks at the stack of books he has before grabbing two more and nodding. He pays for them quickly then guides Harry back outside. “I think we’ll do all of your shopping today, you need robes, and while not required I’d like to get you an owl. You definitely need new clothes though. The ones you’re borrowing are outdated and still bigger than they should be.”

Harry looks down at his clothes and pouts. He likes these clothes even if the bottom of his trousers touched the ground.. Fulgur snorts and drags him off to a different store. He reads the sign briefly as he’s pushed inside. Surrounding him on all sides are different robes. An older woman greets Fulgur with a bright smile and says “I’ll be with you in just a moment. If you would please, stand next to this young man here.” She points to a platinum blonde haired boy. 

Fulgur takes one look at the kid and blinks. A look of recognition crossed his face before a small frown took over. Harry steps up next to the boy with a blank mask and stares at his reflection in the mirror. He’s taller than he remembers, his hair much longer and pulled back into a low ponytail, some fringe covering his scar from view, his skin is smoother as well, and his eyes glowed an eerie green. The fae realm has changed him more than he had originally anticipated.

The blonde boy stares at him for a moment as if to assess who he is. There’s a pensive look on his face before it brightens. “Are you a Veela?” He asks suddenly. Harry blinks and looks back towards Fulgur who leans in and whispers to him. 

“No, I am not a Veela, though I’m flattered you would think such a thing.” The boy's face flushes red and he stumbles over his words for a few listless moments. Harry chuckles in amusement. 

The kid puts his hand out “I apologize, I’ve forgotten my manners. I’m Draco Malfoy, it’s um- it’s nice to meet you.” He says flustered. Harry flashes him a small smile and shakes his hand. He doesn’t say his name but the boy doesn’t seem to notice as he continues to talk.

“I didn’t mean to assume your race. I’ve just been told that Veela are rather distinctive. Most of them are depicted as beautiful, with pale and smooth skin, and slightly pointed ears. Though most of them have blonde hair so I suppose that should’ve been a telling sign.” 

Harry really was flattered at this point, he’d never been called beautiful before, unless you counted Mrs. Figg calling his eyes pretty. But she really doesn’t count. “It’s all in good intentions, heir Malfoy. I bear no ill will towards you. Actually I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

This made the blonde perk up in anticipation. “Of course, ask away. It's the least I can do to make up for my error.” Harry flashes him a charming smile as the older lady comes out to take his measurements. He begins to speak as he watches her work in fascination. She sometimes stops to ask Fulgur questions.

“I don’t often visit Wizarding Britain, I tend to live on the muggle side of the country, so I find it hard to get information.” Draco’s face scrunched up at the news making Harry’s eyebrows raise. He looks away to watch the seamstress stitch together clothing and he finds himself drawn to the craft. To think he’d want to make his own clothes.

Fulgur eyed him with a warning in his eyes. Harry wouldn’t be able to ask too many questions then. “I was wondering your opinions on Hogwarts’ headmaster. I’ve been told stories but none have been too positive.” This seems to make the blonde perk up.

“Well my father says he’s completely barmy, the old fool practically shunned our practices and changed the school, it’s almost completely different from my grandfather’s time there.” Harry hummed and nodded for the boy to continue. “Father also said he’s too much trouble and I should avoid his gaze for as long as possible. It’s known that he’s prejudiced against Slytherins and most pureblood’s.”

“I see and how do _you_ feel about the school itself?” Harry asked, stressing the word “you.” It’s as if the boy had no thoughts of his own.

“Well I know I’ll be in Slytherin. Father said so since all of the family has ended up there.” Harry sighed internally. “He says that Gryffindors are loud and nitwitted, Hufflepuffs are cowards and weak, and Ravenclaws— he says they’re okay.” 

“And what about Muggleborns?” Harry asked, curious. Malfoy had a grimace on his face. “I see, your father doesn’t like them either.”

“What?” The boy asked bewildered “I never said anything like that, plus my father has nothing to do with that question.” He said with indignation.

Harry raised his brows “is that so? Then why have you answered each of my questions with what your father thinks? Last time I checked a personal question is answered with “I” and not “my father” heir Malfoy.” The blonde’s jaw dropped to the floor.

“I do not wish to know what your _father_ thinks. I wish to know what _you_ think.” He says honestly “are you unable to think for yourself, heir Malfoy?” The blonde shakes his head “then answer me with your own words and not the ones you’ve heard.”

The blonde looked dumbstruck, as if he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. If Harry had to guess, Draco Malfoy looked up to his father, to the point he clung to every word. Which in his opinion isn’t healthy because even he knew children should be allowed to branch off from their parents beliefs. 

“I—“ he stumbled out “I don’t know really. I mean, I’m excited to attend, and I’d like to end up in slytherin. I’ve been told stories about the school all my life. How much it’s changed over time. I’m not entirely sure what to think of the headmaster either since I’ve never met him.”

Harry smiled at the blonde. He was finally opening up. “And Muggleborns? Half Bloods as well.” 

Draco bit his lower lip in thought. He seemed to be warring with his own thoughts. “I don’t know. Father says they’re a disgrace and that muggles are savages.” That earns a snort from Fulgur who eyes them discreetly from the side. “I’ve never actually met a mud-Muggleborn. So I’m not entirely sure how I feel.”

Harry smiled brighter and nodded. Now he was getting somewhere! “Would you perhaps like to meet a muggle someday? I know many of them that are not savages.” His neighbors come to mind as they always complimented him over the fence when he was gardening. “Actually you might find that they’re quite pleasant even if they know nothing about our world.” 

The look of curiosity on the boy’s face was replaced with a blank mask as the door to the shop opened. Harry looked at the door to see someone almost identical to Draco. Besides the hair length the two of them could be considered twins. Harry looked to Fulgur who had stilled next to him. 

“Harry will you excuse me?” He asked with a tense smile. Harry blinked rapidly but nodded nonetheless. Fulgur walked towards the new—old?— face and began talking. There was recognition shown in the eyes of the newcomer before the two adults began talking in hushed voices. 

Harry looked back at Draco who shrugged his shoulders “anyway enough about Hogwarts” he began “tell me about what you think of Harry Potter.” Draco’s eyes went wide and alert. 

“Well I know his supposed story. That he killed the dark lord as a baby.” Harry noticed the subtle non-use of you-know-who and squinted in curiosity. “But I don’t know if it’s true at all. I mean, I’d like to get to know him, if I meet him that is. But if he’s a prat then there’s no way we could get along.” He said crossing his arms. 

Harry smirked as the older lady came back out to take final measurements before finishing their orders. “You can go to your father's now dearies. I’ll have those robes done within the hour.” Harry startled for a moment before smiling kindly at the old witch and walking over to Fulgur. 

Fulgur looked down at Harry and beamed at him. “Sorry about that, I saw Lucius here and I simply had to speak to him. Especially about his views on current politics.” Harry didn’t buy that for a second but nodded anyway. The man in front of him paled considerably as Harry’s deathly green eyes looked into his own. 

“Lord Malfoy, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Harry said, holding out his hand. 

Lucius grabbed it into his own and gave a firm shake “as I you mister?” He paused in question. Harry blinked, ah he forgot to introduce himself.

He paused looking at Fulgur who nodded “Harrison Potter-LeFay sir. Heir to the Ancient and most prestigious house of LeFay.” He answered in a hushed voice. Lucius’ eyes widened before a tense smile graced his features. Draco also looked as if he were a deer in headlights. Not having known the boy he was talking to was the one he was asked about. 

“Only LeFay? Did you not acquire your Potter heirship?” He asked in a quiet voice. Both Harry and Fulgur grimaced at that.

“Perhaps we can continue this conversation elsewhere?” Fulgur inquired. Lucius looked up to the fae and nodded. The older Malfoy turned around and exited the shop. 

The four males walked a short distance to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour. The two adults sat the two younger boys at a table and went inside to order with hushed voices. Harry glanced at Draco who seemed to glare at him. He raised a brow waiting for the boy to speak.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were Harry Potter?” He hissed under his breath. Harry snorted and looked around before answering. 

“I didn’t think you’d answer truthfully if you knew who I was. I’m not exactly supposed to be here either.” Draco gave him a bewildered look, making Harry sigh. “I was left with my muggle relatives for most of my life. Though not all muggles are like them, they’re what you would refer to as savages.”

Draco’s face lost color and he looked at Harry in concern. “Why were you not removed from their care as soon as someone knew? Your magical guardian should have found you a new home.” He said glaring at Fulgur through the window. 

Harry shook his head “Fulgur isn’t my magical guardian so don’t glare at him.” He said pointedly “actually, Fulgur saved me from an accident that could’ve killed me. I’ve been living with him for a few months now.”

“Then who is your guardian?” Harry scowled and twisted the ring in his finger in agitation. 

“Albus Dumbledore.” He replied with a hiss. Draco’s expression turned to one of understanding. “It's why I wanted to know your own opinion of the man.”

Draco nodded and lifted his head as the two adults returned with frozen confectioneries. They were still talking quietly as they handed the two boys their ice cream. Harry watched as Fulgur jerked his head to Harry to which Lucius followed the movement. Lucius paused mid speech and turned to fully face Harry.

“Mr.—“ he paused “Mr. LeFay, did you know there is a snake on your shoulder?” Harry blinked at the name before turning his head to Regiis who looked at him Regiis shared a question through the bond and Harry rolled his eyes. 

_“You can have food when we get home. You can’t just run around out here now go back into the robes.”_ He hissed to his partner. The snake stuck it’s tongue out before sliding back into the robes. Harry turned to Lucius’ pale face with a smile “yes sir, I did in fact know I had a snake on my shoulder. His name is Regiis and he’s my familiar.” His own eyes flashed dangerously. He would not allow anyone to harm Regiis just as Regiis would never let anyone harm him.

Lucius seemed to understand the threat rather quickly and nodded “of course I meant no harm. I was merely surprised is all.” Harry hummed and turned back to Draco with a smile and returned to his own conversation with the boy. 

“How did you come across him, Fulgur?” Lucius asked suddenly. Fulgur eyed him warily. 

“You know I cannot speak of such things Lucius. At least to those not involved in the proceedings.” Lucius’ expression transformed from confusion to a frown.

He looked at Fulgur for what felt like the first time in many years. The fae man had grown from the short sixteen year old he’d known in his school days. He no longer looked human, his freckles gone, replaced by tanned smooth skin. His hair once wavy and knotted was stick straight, while his eyes remained their beautiful bright teal.

“You’ve changed my old friend. How the fae realm has changed you over the years.” Fulgur’s eyes softened “I wish you had stayed. But I also knew you had no desire to join a war that was not your own.” 

Fulgur’s face went dark and he shook his head “perhaps the war was my own. When I realized who had sent for my families murder.” Pale eyes bore into teal before looking away ashamed “no it was not _him_ but rather…” Fulgur’s eyes widened “a person shrouded in darkness but portrayed as light.” He looked at Harry then at Lucius who’s face morphed into confusion. 

“I apologize Lucius but I’ve just come to a very important conclusion and must be on my way home. I will owl you soon in hopes we can correspond.” Fulgur says jumping up from his seat. He moved around the table and grabbed Harry before dragging the boy away to finish their shopping. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


“So why exactly did you drag me away from the Malfoy’s?” Harry asked. He was carrying a large bird cage with a rather large avian inside. Something called a bearded vulture if he remembered correctly. 

Fulgur glanced at him before rounding a corner and tearing through the veil. Harry walked through with a disgusted look as he came out the other side. He hated veil travel. It felt like he was walking through a thick liquid, like slime, or mucus. The Magic seemed to cling to him for hours. 

Harry continued to follow the fae through the manor until they reached the sitting room where he took up his favorite seat. He placed the cage on the floor and opened it letting the vulture out to spread its wings. It’s red rimmed white eyes stared into his own and Harry felt a slight connection to the bird. Perhaps another familiar? It isn’t uncommon to have multiple but not many have a familiar at all. 

“I think I found out a clue to the prophecy.” Fulgur said suddenly. Harry looked away from the bird and into teal eyes. “The One shrouded in darkness but portrayed as light. It has to be Dumbledore.” Harry tilted his head. Fulgur sighed, he forgot Harry isn’t as old as himself, so he hasn’t learned much of Wizarding history. He should really start teaching him that soon. If Binns was still the Professor then he knew Harry wouldn’t learn anything. 

“When Dumbledore was younger, and I mean much younger, he fought a man named Grindelwald.” Harry nodded along “Grindelwald was the dark lord before Voldemort.” Harry’s eyes widened “there's rumors that he and Dumbledore were in a relationship before Grindelwald went fully dark. They were looking for something…” Fulgur gained a pensive look before the light returned to his eyes “the deathly hallows!” He exclaimed.

Harry shot upwards at the name as his magic seemed to react to it. _How odd_ he thought. “Do you know if they found any?” Fulgur shrugged his shoulders. Harry narrowed his eyes before willing the book the goblins gave him into existence. 

He opened the book and sifted through the pages. Each page detailed everything one might need to know about death. And since it was written by the Peverell brothers, he might just be able to find something out about the hallows. He made it through almost sixty pages before something caught his eye. 

**_“The death stick, or the elder wand, was given to Antioch by death. It was long and thin, with strange bulbs along its length, only he seemed to able to wield it as it doesn’t respond to anyone else.”_ **

A few of the lines further down went on to describe how it handles as a wand. In Harry’s conclusion it seemed to be exceedingly good at duels as no one had defeated the eldest Peverell son. Then a few scratched out sentences caught his attention before he read the next paragraph that was written in red almost brown ink.

**_“I write this now as Antioch Peverell eldest son, the wand can be taken by a new master, as long as the new owner has bested the other in a duel. I write this in hopes that any Peverell descendant try to obtain the wand once more. I ask that they please, please, destroy the wand, it is much too dangerous to be in the wrong hands.”_ **

Harry looked at the writing again before staring at the reddened corner of the pages. This was written rather hastily, and urgently if he had to guess, which means, this wasn’t ink at all. Antioch had written in his own blood just to make sure his descendants knew the danger of the wand. Harry had to get the wand back.

Harry closed the book and sighed shakily “Fulgur” the fae looked up at Harry with concern “what did Dumbledore's wand look like?” 

Fulgur blinked “it was long and thin I think.” Harry inhaled “and it had bulbs or something spaced out along the length of it. Why do you ask?” He asks skeptically.

Harry groans in frustration, of course the old man had it, does he have the cloak and ring too? God he hopes not. “It seems someone has gotten a hold of the elder wand.” Fulgur frowned and shook his head.

The older man paused before looking at Harry again “this is too much to ask a child.” He said. Harry snapped his head up confused “you should be having fun, acting your age, not worrying about wars or death.”

Harry glared at the fae “what? You think because I’m young I can’t handle it?” He asked angrily.

“That’s not at all what I’m saying Harry. What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t have to deal with any of this at all! No child should have to worry about some stupid old man trying to control their life. They should be able to have a proper childhood, have friends, and a nice family. It’s completely unfair to you that he’s decided to take the reins in your life.” 

Harry stilled, he was right of course, Fulgur was always right most of the time. He wanted a childhood, just like everyone else his age, he didn’t want to be in an abusive home —not that he’s actually told Fulgur everything that’s going on. He doesn’t want to be a burden to the already stressed out fae.— or to be the “boy who lived.” He just wants to be Harry for a while. 

Fulgur sighed and rubbed at his face in irritation. “I— you know what?” He said suddenly making Harry look up at him “for the next few weeks we’re going to make your wand, and we’re going to study Wizarding history.” Harry had no idea where this was going but he nodded anyway. “And we’ll stop acting like pureblood’s and pretend to be normal the entire time.” 

Harry snorted and coughed as Fulgur said that. Harry, normal? Not possible, but it does sound tempting. Harry looked back at the bird who was looking at Regiis curiously. The two of them weren’t fighting so that’s good news. He eyed them before looking back at Fulgur. 

“Ah what the heck I don’t see why not.” He said with a smile. Fulgur smiled back with a bright grin.

“Great! Now what do you want to do first?”

Harry thought for a moment “play a game of tag?” He asked. The shit eating grin he got in return should have scared him but he really didn’t think about what it meant at the time. Oh how much he wished he’d changed his mind.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Dual toned wood twisted together, in a spiral of bone and shadow, like vines merging into one. The yew and ebony woods needed little coaxing to become one with each other much to Harry’s relief. Though he was slightly confused at the small rounded hole in the bottom of the wand. He twisted it around to look and pursed his lips in thought. The hole went further into the wand getting smaller and smaller as it found the tip. 

He was also in a sort of dilemma, as Regiis’ fang would not merge with the wand, which was something he was assured would happen. He groaned and set the wand down. He’d been working on it for what felt like forever. Fulgur hadn’t helped him one bit since it was “a personal journey for a wand maker.” So he wasn’t allowed to help at all. 

He rolled his eyes and made to stand up only stopping as his leg muscle tensed. He hissed in pain and glared at the offending limb with betrayal. How dare his leg cause him pain like that. He was only sitting for about 3– he looked at the clock. How had so much time gone by? 

He stared at the wood shavings on the floor in confusion and found himself looking at a large pile of different wands. Each had a different design that he’d either found too bulky, too flimsy, or not balanced enough. It was a miracle he’d finally gotten one that felt right for him because he was running out of wood to carve. 

Harry stretched his back and relished at the pops he could feel. The tension leaving his aching muscles from the night before. Let it be known that Fulgur is amazing at hide and seek. Especially when he was seeking. Harry on the other hand was the better hider even without the cloak. Still Fulgur just seemed to know where he was.

Speaking of his cloak, he lets it materialize and cover him in a warmth that seeps into his skin. Then he steps forwards and the shadows converge on him, transferring his body to a separate part of the house. He learned that trick earlier that week playing tag. He was in a spot where he couldn’t find a shadowy area to step into. So in his attempt to escape he pulled on his magic and the shadows stretched towards him. It was terrifying at first, watching tendrils of shadow reach for him, cover him from head to toe in the dark almost void-like curtain. 

Of course Fulgur had embraced his newfound ability with a big grin and a warm voice. But Harry feels like Fulgur would be the only person to embrace his magic ability. As if, had he shown anyone else, they’d fear or hate him. And so he was meaning to ask his family. Because that’s what Fulgur was technically. He was family, not directly, but they shared a common ancestor.

He popped out of the shadows and next to Fulgur who was looking over a book in his study. The fae looked up with sharp teal eyes before letting them soften as they met Harry’s own green ones. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this late meeting with my lovely little cousin?” Fulgur asked with a hint of mischief in his rumbling voice. Harry snorted and tugged at his cloak softly. 

“I got the wood carved for my wand. Took a few tries but it feels perfect now. Not too heavy, not too light, and fits perfectly in my hand. Though it has a hole in the bottom that confuses me.” He said pouting.

Fulgur’s own head tilted before a smile graced his features. “That’s for my stone.” He says confidently. Harry deadpans at the simple answer “our families tradition is to implement the birthstone of the heir before us into our wands. My mother’s was imbued with emerald and mine had turquoise placed into it.”

“So what will mine have then?” Harry asked curiously. Fulgur hummed and held up his hand. He dug around in his drawers before pulling out a small jewelry box and placed it on his desk. The lid opened to reveal a pile of glittering jewels. One particular gem was placed precariously on the top and Fulgur lifted it to show Harry. 

“This is an opal, it’s magical properties are sought after by many, especially rune carvers and talisman makers.” Harry took the multicolored gem into his hands and felt a mixture of different feelings roll through him. 

“It’s considered a very precious stone to wizards due to its ability to transform with magic.” Harry peered into the gem noting the shifting colors and odd shape. It looked just like the hole in his wand. 

“It’s so pretty, how did you get this?” Harry asked in wonder. The colors swirled within the gem as if alive. His own magic sparked to life mimicking the ever changing nature of the gem. Fulgur’s eyes crinkled in delight, seemingly excited about Harry’s fascination.

“What a wonderful question. But one that I cannot answer until you come of age.” Harry pouted in response. Fulagur batted his eyelashes as if innocent.

Harry huffed and turned around looking around the study until his eyes fell upon a book in the corner of a large ornate bookshelf. He plucked the book from its small nook and flipped it open. Fulgur snorted from his perch behind the desk.

“Wand troubles? You could always just ask me for tips”

“I could but the last time I asked for help you told me off for it. After all it's a sacred practise isn’t it?”

“Of course how careless of me to forget. But if I were allowed to help you, I’d tell you that fang cores should be submerged in moonwater, but of course that would be if I were allowed to tell you.” he said winking and looking back at his book.

“And if I were to hypothetically ask where one might find moonwater?”

“Then I would respond with the Potions Lab downstairs.” there was a small smirk playing on the fae’s lips making his face twitch ever so slightly.

Harry closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. He willed his cloak around himself then walked through the shadows once more into the dingy potions lab. The lab itself was amazingly built, but the objects were so old the room was covered in dust, jars of ancient ingredients filled the rooms shelves 

Finding moonwater in a room full of liquids was hard. You’d think it would be easy to find a clear jar of moonwater but no. instead he found saliva, urine, tears, and even blood. But no moonwater. He just about gave up his search when something shiny flashed his face. He blinked rapidly to disperse the dots that have entered his vision.

What looks like a small jar of swirling glowing liquid sat in the window. Harry shuffled over in curiosity looking through the window into the dark abyss of woods/ he couldn't see anything past the trees. Not even a ray of moonlight penetrated the wall of foliage. 

He stared down at the jar and lifted the label tag into the light. The label read **_“Moonlight trapped in a jar. Moonwater purifies all who wish it.”_ ** How odd. In all the books he’s read, there was never any reference to the liquid glowing so brightly. How long had it been sitting there in that window?

He grabs the jar and trudges the long way back to his own room. Along the way Regiis slides next to him in companionable silence. The quetzal was in his much larger form now, letting himself stretch out, his feathers pluming outwards in the sunlight streaming from the windows. 

The large reptile curled around the room looming over the side of the bed to watch Harry. Harry grabbed his unfinished wand and summoned the fang over to him. He transfigured a crystal lamp into a bowl. then poured the jar of moonwater into the bowl. It shimmered slightly then settled into a swirling mass of light.

Carefully as if he could disturb them he placed his wand and core into the water. The reaction was almost instant. The water turned murky, purple venom seeping out of the fang, tainting the purity of the moonwater. Then as if it never happened the water cleared again. The fang was gone, completely dissolved, and Harry feared he messed up.

He yanked his wand back out of the water swishing his hand around in the water. No fang in sight. Then his hand thrummed with magic, his wand pulsing ever so slightly, as if telling him it was there. And that was the only explanation wasn’t it? Regiis’ head reared up to look at the wand. A glint in the reptile's eyes.

_“I can feel it Harry. It’s there, inside the wand, it’s powerful.”_ Regiis said in awe.

Harry stared at the wand critically. He reached out to it with his magic and gasped. The wand sparked to life, vibrating with energy, warm, cold, and electric at the same time. His core pulsed in excitement, releasing shadows into the corners of the room. Tendrils of writhing shadows converged on the wand wrapping it in a curtain of darkness. Then it seeped into the wood, forging the final link between owner and wand.`Fulgur’s words come to mind as he points his wand at the bowl.

**_“_ ** **_The wand is like an extension of the owner’s will. It should feel as natural to use the wand as it is to use one’s arm. Though unlike a staff it is best not to use the wand as a weapon. So no stabbing, bludgeoning, or throwing your wand around. Doing so is like casting away your own severed limb and is frowned upon by all who wield one.”_ **

Harry had never understood the obsession the wizarding world had with wands. But now, holding his own wand loosely in his hand, he could see the appeal. As if he had just found his missing piece. The wand linked to his magic like a chain, flexible, yet strong.

He sent a wisp of magic through the wand towards the bowl. Watched as the moonwater lifted from the crystal bowl and back into the jar. It was easier than using his hands, more precise, less of a hassle. He didn't have to concentrate hard, or guide his magic with his own mind, just think about what he wanted and point. 

It was with great pleasure that he walked all the way back to Fulgur’s office. He skipped every once in a while, a sense of giddiness overcoming his calm mask. The door opened quietly only making noise as it hit the wall behind it. 

Fulgur looked up at Harry with a glint in his eyes. He held his hand out and Harry gracefully placed his wand into the outstretched palm. Fulgur took care in inspecting the wand, looking into each crevice, knot in the wood, or the shadowy tendrils of magic reaching out from inside.

Fulgur pursed his lips, seemingly unimpressed with the shadows. The man dug through his drawers once more for the box of gems. He handed Harry his wand back still holding onto the tip. The box was lifted onto the desk with a carefulness he’d only seen Fulgur use on himself. The opal from before was pulled out of the box and handed to Harry who held it in fear of somehow breaking it.

“Place it in the bottom of the wand and I will do the rest. You need only supply a small bit of magic.”

Harry nodded and placed the gem into the hole at the bottom of the wand. It fit perfectly. So snugly that Harry couldn't pull it back out. Then suddenly Fulgur was speaking, a dull thrum of magic pushing against his own. It was Fulgur’s if he had to guess. It felt exhilarating, full of life and energy, like lightning flashing between waves of pouring rain. The irony of the fae’s name did not go unnoticed.

The Opal suddenly turned to liquid then. Seeping into the wood like the shadows had done previously. The shadows were covered by a layer of multicolored opal, keeping the magic from finding a way out, like the colored resin uncle Vernon had tried to use once. Though “tried” was the word to think on. The man swore off using it ever again and Harry had taken it for himself to hide in the shed.

Fulgur took one last look at the wand before nodding. It was covered in a translucent layer of the opal, giving it a smooth sheen, only flashing color when turned at just the right angle.

“You will care for this wand as if it were your own body. Do not let it dull, chip, or snap. If it gets burned you will have to transfigure it back to how it originally looked. Normal fire will not destroy it but magical fire can. So do not let another wizard or witch get a hold of it.”

Harry nodded curtly in understanding. Now that he'd created the wand he would never let it out of his sight. He would protect it always. The wand seemed to glow for a moment before sinking into his hand and forming a ring of shadow around his finger. They stared wide eyed at the ring before Harry shrugged nonchalant. At this point he didn’t care anymore what his magic did.

He thumbed the ring on his finger, the top had the symbol of the deathly hallows, the bottom had something engraved. He looked closer to read and blinked in mild surprise. “Lunam umbra Baculum magicum” the Moon Shadow Wand. or at least that's what it roughly translated to. His latin wasn't quite that good yet.

“You never cease to amaze me Harry.” Fulgur said exasperated. “My awe aside you have some writing to do. Draco sent a letter back with his fathers. Of course this’ll be the last letter of correspondence with him. Thursday we return you your… family” 

Harry rolled his eyes at the tone in the fae’s voice. Of course he couldn't fault the man, he hates them far worse than Fulgur, after all they’ve done to him. Though he still hadn’t told the man everything. Something was holding him back from speaking about it. As if telling Fulgur was against some sacred rule. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want to tell him. But every time he got the courage to speak up his tongue would lock to the roof of his mouth and he felt like he needed to puke. 

So he left it alone, he tried writing about it too, but he always lost the paper not long after. A blank spot in his memory every time he tried to think of where he’d hide it. Either way Fulgur was none the wiser and Regiis wouldn’t say a word without his permission first.

Harry accepted the letter with ease before leaving the room on quiet feet. He stalked to his room once more and sat at the dark cherry desk. He forwent the quills, taking a fountain pen into his hands instead, a gift from the queen of the fae herself. The ink’s provided by Oberon as a joint gift. 

The king of the fae sometimes lurked around their manor. Looking inside the barrier as if watching for something dangerous. Not that Harry minded honestly. He was a human in the realm of the fae, he might have fae blood, but that didn't mean he belonged. Though he knew the King was sceptical of him Oberon still treated him kindly. Answering his questions from the other side of the barrier. 

Harry looked out the window looking to see if he could spot the large fae only to be slightly disappointed when he couldn't find him among the trees. Sighing, he carefully slides the envelope open to find a neatly folded handwritten letter. He smiled at the neat handwriting written in cursive on the parchment.

**_“ Dear Harrison,_ **

**_The summer has been boring. Father has seen to it that I join him during his Wizengamot meetings. Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment but it’s awfully boring here. Father said this was to be our last correspondence and I feel as though you may forget me. So I've decided to give you a list of things to think about while staying with your muggle relatives._ **

  * **_Snakes (we both like them and I know I’ll think of you and Regiis when i think of them.)_**


  * Muggleborns - write notes about them too. I’d like to learn about them from an unbiased source.


  * Me


  * How to get revenge - on both dumbledore or your family. It’s always fun to think of how to get back at people.


  * You’re hogwarts house - you show the signs of a slytherin but I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up in ravenclaw. 


  * The foods you want to try. You mentioned the bland sense of taste your family had. So compile a list of what you want to try and I’ll see what I can do when you see me again.



**_I’d like to thank you for writing to me. None of my other ‘friends’ feel the need to send me anything when we see each other every other day. It was nice to know someone cared enough. I’ve also been thinking about that offer from Madam Malkins, I would be delighted to visit the Muggle side of london, as like I put in the list, I want an unbiased source._ **

**_I hope to see you soon,_ **

**_Draco Malfoy Heir apparent of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy.”_ **

Harry looked at the letter impressed. In the beginning the Malfoy heir wrote sporadically. Changing topics every other sentence. Now he wrote with the grace and attitude of a proper heir. Harry smiled, he must have learned from reading Harry’s own letters. If past letters from Draco were to be believed then Lucious Malfoy had almost no time for his son. Leaving his wife Narcissa to handle all of the heir training. Which is just wrong as Narcissa was raised a Black. No two pureblood houses trained their heirs the same way. 

The LeFay’s were a great example in that regard. Harry was taught the typical manners and poise of any heir or lord. But when it came to magic, practices, or political alignment he was taught differently. The LeFay’s are a Neutral house on the cusp of dark. They practiced the teachings of the Darke, or as Fulgur called them, **_“the olde ways.”_ **They celebrated Samhain, Yule, Litha, and every Holiday in between. Their goddess was Hecate Queen and mother of Magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts, and necromancy. Something that Harry found amazing. 

Harry was not required to follow Hecate but she was the family goddess and the most common of all who partake in the Darke Practices. But he found himself drawn to her anyway, and though he was not yet ready, he planned to follow her practices closely. 

Harry was of course taught about creatures and the LeFay’s views on them. Which of course they were not against them, as it would be contradictory of their own status as fae, they fought for their rights when they could and Harry respected that. No creature deserved to be treated poorly because of a few differences. By the end of the day werewolves were humans, sure they shifted into wolves during the full moon, but they were still human. Vampires were undead but once again still human and capable of thought. He wasn’t sure exactly what a hag was, but they also had a conscience and were capable of free thought.

So the teachings of the house of LeFay resonated with Harry. He would take these teachings to the grave and pass it on to his own heir someday. Possibly. He wasn't sure to be honest. He wasn't sure he was even capable of romantic thought. Then again he was still young so he had plenty of time to experiment. Plus he could always adopt.

Harry hummed and pulled out his own parchment to write his own letter. All the while Regiis hissed softly in his sleep. Like a strange snake snore. Hecate bless whoever decides to wake the sleeping serpent because Harry knew it would be impossible. Harry shook his head and placed his pen against the paper. 


	6. Sort your heart out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry returns to his old prison with a few new perks. At least he won't have to stay for too long.

Harry stood outside the Dursleys house on Thursday afternoon with dread in his gut. How would his family react? They thought he'd been dead for almost a year now right? So how would they explain his obviously alive body without them reacting violently about his freakishness?

Fulgur looked down at him before placing a large hand on top of the raven haired boy’s head. Then with a blank face he knocked on the door loudly. It took a moment for someone to open the door and Harry tensed at the sight of his aunt’s face. She went to say something before coming to an abrupt stop. 

Fulgur was looking directly into her eyes with his own swirling teal ones. Like a spinning wheel meant to hypnotize you. Fulgur turned his head forward breaking Harry from the slight trance he'd fallen into.

“I believe we should talk, Mrs. Dursley.” Fulgur said with a gruff voice. Petunia nodded slowly, opening the door wide and letting them in. They followed her into the family room where Vernon and Dudley stirred for only a moment before getting sucked into the mesmerizing gaze of Fulgur’s eyes. 

Fulgur situated himself across from the Dursleys like a proper guest. A serene smile on his face as he poured himself a cup of tea. Harry watched in fascination as his family did nothing to stop it.

“After I tell you what I’m about to say you will not remember this conversation. Do you understand?” Fulgur asked. Harry’s family nodded, void of all emotion, a blank look in their eyes.

“Good, now listen closely. On the day of the crash Harry never left the house with you. He stayed with Mrs. Figg when she told you not to worry about her broken leg.” The Dursleys nodded.

“You are to treat Harry as you normally do but do  _ not _ withhold food from him. He is to have his own space and his own belongings. You will not destroy them.” an emotion seemed to flash across Vernon’s face before disappearing into nothingness once more.

“Every summer I will have Harry for a month. I will take him to Hogwarts when he gets his letter and I will bring him back when the school year is over. You will not stop him from going.” Petunia smiled a little before nodding in consent.

“When I clap my hands you will return to normal and act as if I’m an old friend named Francis. You will not notice anything odd about me and you will trust me.” all of them nodded again and Fulgur smiled. He turned to Harry and leaned over. 

“Harry, what I just used was called a Mesmer. That means everything I just said to them is what they believe. As long as you don't try to contradict that knowledge they will be none the wiser.” Harry’s eyes widened. They wouldn't know he had been gone for so long? So he won’t get in trouble for surviving the crash?

“I- thank you so much Fulgur. I promise not to say a word.” Fulgur smiled at him and patted his head affectionately. 

“Of course, now then I’ll see you again when it’s time to head to Hogwarts. And-” he yanked Harry's wrist towards him, wrapping a bangle around it. “This is so you can call me anytime. If they do anything to you that you know is bad just rub the birds head and I’ll be there. Okay?”

Harry nodded numbly. He still hadn't told the man about the beatings. He still couldn't either. The mere thought of telling him made his insides twist. So he did what he was best at. He nodded and smiled sweetly, lying without saying a word. He was okay as long as he didn’t give the Dursleys a reason to hurt him. So Fulgur never had to know.

Fulgur’s eyes crinkled up in a sort of eye smile. Then he swiftly turned around and clapped his hands. As if possessed, the Dursleys came to life. They shifted around, like puppets getting their strings cut, life seemed to fill their eyes. The dull emotionless mask falling from their face. 

“Oh Francis, thank you for taking Harry off of our hands for the month. I hope he wasn’t too much of a hassle.” Petunia said in a flowery voice. Fulgur shook his head, a fake smile plastered on his face.

“Of course not, Harry was the definition of perfection. I look forward to our yearly visits in the future. He’s amazing with plants. I was quite surprised myself. My garden has never looked so full of life.” Petunia smiled and nodded. As if she were the one to teach him when in fact he learned everything from a book in school. Fulgur’s face suddenly fell.

“If I recall correctly, you said Harry and Dudley were sharing a room. Would it be possible to get his own room?” The Dursleys looked confused for a moment before a flash of recognition crossed their faces.

“Of course!” Petunia said shrilly.

“Of course, he can have the old play room. The boys are much too old to be sharing a room now.” Fulgur smiled and nodded along happily.

“Oh good, you know kids these days, they need their space and all. Oh would you look at the time. I have work soon and only thirty minutes to get there.” Fulgur said standing up suddenly. He passed Harry his suitcase and gave him a pat on the back. 

“I must be off but it was great to see you all again. I’ll be sure to pick Harry up once school starts again. Good luck.” he says with a cheeky grin. Then he was out the door and running down the road.

Harry stared at his family, not quite sure what to think of them, especially after being gone for so long. Would they be different?

“Well don't just stand there Boy. Go clean Dudley’s second room so you can move in and be done with it.” Vernon said gruffly turning the telly back on. When had it turned off in the first place?

Harry grabbed the suitcase and flew up the stairs as quietly as he could. Once he got to the room he closed the door behind him and sucked in a breath. He had two more months until school started. He'd be getting his letter soon.  _ Fulgur _ got him his own room and food to eat. This is either a blessing or some fucked up joke played by the fates.

He set the case down gently making sure not to disturb the passengers inside. Then set out to cleaning the absolute mess of a room. It was when he found it too much of a hassle without the use of magic that he sat down with a huff and opened the case. 

Inside were four opals with runes engraved in them. Next to it was a small note.

**_“Harry,_ **

**_I know you aren’t supposed to use magic in the muggle side of the human realm, so I created a few barrier runes to block the ministry from realizing you’re using any. You must use your wand so that it doesn't become stagnant before school starts. Put the runes in each corner of the room and pour your magic into them. It doesn't need much so even if the ministry does in fact notice your use of it then it will be deemed accidental. I made sure to ask Lucious and he guaranteed that this will work._ **

**_May Hecate watch over you,_ **

**_Fulgur Argenti LeFay,_ **

**_Lord of the Most Ancient and Prestigious House of LeFay”_ **

Harry smiled softly and picked up the rune stones. He placed each one in the corners of the room, charging them with magic, praying it works. Then just to check he pulled off his ring letting it form into his wand. He pointed towards the mess on the floor and willed it to disappear. Everything vanished and Harry held his breath. When no ministry owl showed up at his window he slumped in relief. 

He pulled the spare mattress from the closet with his wand and  _ gently  _ set it down on the floor. He grabbed a single sheet from the closet and pulled it onto the mattress. Then he heard the door creak open and nearly panicked when he realized he hadn't put his wand away. He looked around for it frantically as Petunia peered into the room. He sighed in relief when she didn't comment on how quickly the room got clean. 

“I hope you remember how to cook, boy, Dinner is to be done in the next two hours and no later.” she said tossing a recipe at his face making him splutter in indignation. She slammed the door closed in his face leaving him to stare at the recipe blankly. 

Well she definitely hadn't changed during the time he was gone. He grimaced at the thought of cooking for the Dursleys. Don't get him wrong, he loves cooking, but he hated cooking for his family. Their sense of taste was nonexistent, everything he ate, including his favorite foods, were made to be bland and taste like cardboard. Scratch that, cardboard had more flavor. They never let him season their food, as if he were going to poison them, or something he couldn't think of. 

He was a child, what's the worst he could do? The only thing he ever did wrong was burn some things. But even that gave the food flavor. He preferred the char over nothing at all. How can people live with basically no taste buds? Honestly was his family cursed or something?

He put his case under the bed, locking it tightly for good measure, hoping Dudley wasn't dumb enough to try snooping. He tiptoed feather light down the steps into the kitchen. He pulled out a cutting board, a few pans and a large pot full of water. Tonight they were having Lasagna and he wasn't going to fuck it up no matter what. Not when he just got back. 

He pulled out the ingredients and got the store bought Lasagna sheets into the boiling water. Using a kitchen knife was his favorite pastime. Because no one would enter the kitchen when he held one. He hummed as he cut up the ingredients. A small tune coming from his throat. A song Fulgur played on his piano often enough. Claire De Lune echoed around his head as he cut the ingredients to the melody of the song.

He pulled out a baking pan and went to work layering, tomato sauce, pasta, white sauce, and meat, all the way to the top of the pan. Then he spread a thick layer of parmesan on top and placed it into the preheated oven. He set the timer and began washing the dishes. 

Petunia stumbled into the kitchen a moment later with an annoyed look on her face. She grabbed a few cups and filled them with juice. Harry continued to wash the dishes when he felt her staring directly at him. He turned around confused, drying a cup with a dry washcloth, then putting the cup away.

“Did you need something Aunt Petunia?” he asked curiously.

“When dinner is ready, grab yourself a plate and eat in your room. I’ll clean up dinner later. Tomorrow you’re cleaning the house. If i find anything wrong by dinner time tomorrow, you’ll have Vernon to deal with.” she said with a sour look on her face. Harry gulped, that could mean anything, he severely hoped it wasn't too bad.

“Yes Aunt Petunia.” he replied hoarsely. Petunia nodded curtly and left the room with the three cups of juice. 

That was odd, or at least he thought so. Normally he was left with the scraps or nothing at all. Did that mean the mesmer was working? Harry would have to thank Fulgur again the next time he sees him. 

He contemplated how the mesmer would have worked. Did it create memories to make it more authentic or did it only put the ideas inside their head? Would anyone know if they looked deep enough into their mind?

He jumped as the timer went off. He snatched up the oven mits and pulled the pan out and onto the counter. Remembering what Petunia said, he served himself and Petunia small portions, then Vernon and Dudley larger portions. 

He held each plate carefully as he took them into the dining room. He placed them down in front of each of his family members and instinctively bowed low. Petunia coughed slightly and Harry shot back up with a flushed face. He hadn't meant to bow but lessons with Fulgur had him acting as an heir on instinct.

“Did Francis teach you that?” Petunia asked. Harry looked at her critically before an idea popped into his head.

“Yes ma’am, he was teaching me to cook, and since he works in a three star restaurant his habits rubbed off on me.” he said sheepishly. His mask changed to one of childish embarrassment which had Petunia smiling slightly. 

“Ah Francis, good man, he is. I’m glad he’s teaching you some good old fashioned manners. These summer time trips will do you some good when you aren't in school.” Harry nodded eagerly.

“He taught me a really good dish from the restaurant. I was hoping i could make it here since I can make it on my own.” he said solemnly. Dudley seemed excited by the prospect of new foods. Vernon and Petunia seemed to share a silent conversation before nodding.

“Leave a list of groceries we need to get and you can make it tomorrow. But if we don't like it then you never ask again.” Petunia said with finality. 

Harry nodded eagerly, this was so different from the regular Dursleys, Fulgur had really done some good. Harry was almost looking forward to staying with them for the summer. Too bad things don't always go as planned.

  
  
  
  


The day Harry finally turned eleven started out fine. He got up, made breakfast, ate, cleaned the house, then told Petunia he was going to work on the garden. All the while forgetting one critical detail. He forgot to lock his suitcase.

A scream was all he heard to make the dread he was feeling that day skyrocket. He peered into the house innocently, making himself seem as small as possible, to no avail. Petunia yanked him into the house slamming the door as she did. She held him by the hair, dragging him into his room, and throwing him onto the floor.

“You freak!” she screamed in disgust.

“Keeping a disgusting snake inside that suitcase. A magic suitcase at that! In this house where anyone could get hurt. Does Francis know of your freakishness?” Harry violently shook his head no. 

“Keep it that way. When Vernon gets home you had better pray god gives him the strength to hold back.” she said kicking him and slamming the door on her way out. There was an audible click as the lock on the outside was turned.

How had he been so stupid? To forget to lock his suitcase was something he never did. Not since he came here. She’d seen Regiis, that was for sure, but how large was he when she saw him?

He looked into the suitcase and saw three slots, each expanding into different sized rooms for himself and his familiars. Regiis’ room was the largest, expanding into a rainforest, while the bearded vulture Venandi-latin for hunter- had the rocky cliffs of the alps to live in. Regiis was in his smaller form hissing up a storm. Saying something about nosy housewives who deserve no mercy.

Which in all honesty is pretty normal for Regiis so Harry had nothing to worry about. He sighed, closing the lid and locking it tight. He would be waiting for Vernon to get home. And hopefully Hecate has heard his prayers and accepted his offerings to bless him. It would take a miracle to get the walrus off his back tonight.

He was having such a good summer too. How could he have slipped up on something so stupid? The last time he’d opened it was to put his books away. Books he knew Dudley would try to rip at any chance he got. He looked at the bangle on his arm. He was so tempted to rub the birds head. To call Fulgur down to save him from his fate. 

But his stomach lurched at the idea an black spots filled his vision. He couldn't put this on Fulgur. The man had already done so much for him. Leaning against the wall he chose to take a short nap. Maybe if he was asleep Vernon would leave him alone.

At least he'd hoped. But alas it was not to be. Harry’s door slammed open, alerting him to the large man bustling into his room. Vernon looked for him confused before his eyes landed on Harry’s small form. The curtains were drawn and the door closed. 

“It's been a long time since I’ve done this. You best be ready boy because no amount of pleading will stop me.” he said dangerously. How long had Vernon been wanting to do this?

Harry’s eyes widened comically as his uncle stepped forward. Then he was roughly picked up by his hair and yanked towards his uncles face. 

“Did you think you could get away with bringing that freakishness into our home? Did you?!” he bellowed. Harry shook his head as much as he could. Unable to speak from the pain he was in. 

Tears welled up in his eyes. He's no longer used to the pain anymore. His time with Fulgur reigniting his senses. His uncle glanced at his hand, looking at the bangle and ring. He grabbed Harry’s arm, dropping him in the process, and tried to yank the bangle and ring off. Harry yelped as a stinging sensation raced up his arm. His uncle must have felt it too because he dropped the arm with a glare.

“Damn freakish Jewelry.” he mumbled before a sly grin overtook his face.

Harry was knocked over by Vernon’s left foot, his arm pushed into the ground so hard he swore there would be boot marks left over. Then the foot shimmied up to his hand and wrist. Suddenly Vernon lifted his boot, no longer applying pressure. Harry looked up to his uncle in confusion. Then he screamed as the boot came down, stomping on his wrist with an audible  **crack** . 

“Can't do any of your freakish things if you can’t use your hands.” Vernon said with glee. A face Harry had never seen on his uncle took over. And Harry was scared, for his life, for his familiars, and for the rest of the family. Vernon was cracking underneath and it was starting to show.

Vernon’s eyes were crinkled upward, his grin full of yellowed teeth, his clothes were disheveled as if he’d been in a rush. But what scared Harry the most was a twinkle he could see in his Uncle’s eyes. One that told of pure unimaginable pain. Just for Harry and Harry alone.

What were once quiet tears became full blown sobs as Vernon continued to stomp on Harry, kicking him around the room, throwing him by his hair or broken wrists. And Harry, despite all his training with Fulgur, couldn't do a thing. His mind was blank, as if someone had wiped all thought on preservation from his mind. 

Then Vernon removed Harry’s shirt, turned him over, and undid his belt. Harry feared what was coming. His Uncle wouldn't stoop that low, surely. He almost let out a sigh of relief as the belt made contact with his back. Almost. What came out instead was a screech of pure unfiltered terror. 

“This is your fault!” his uncle yelled.

“I wouldn't have to do this if yOUR PARENTS WERE NORMAL!!! WE WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN YOU DEMON SPAWN. YOU’RE A MONSTER IN HUMAN FLESH.” The crack of the belt on his back did nothing to alleviate the pain from those words. 

He was a  _ monster? _ If so, then what did that make Vernon? The more the belt came down the less he felt the pain. His body finally realized what this pain was. The familiar numbing sensation of his magic reducing the damage filled his body and mind. The thought played in his mind over and over. Is  _ he _ a monster?

  
  
  


Just like before the beatings became a regular occurrence. But instead of dwelling on it his mind became blank, numb to all negative thoughts about it, as if it didn't bother him. He wasn't sure if he should be afraid of what that meant. Maybe he was coming into the shadowcaster mindset. Lots of casters were known to lose some semblance of emotion. Either losing one, all, or none. Never an inbetween. Maybe he lost something finally. 

He was working outside now, his suitcase locked in the cupboard under the stairs, his original room. He wasn't worried, Regiis and Venandi had plenty of food, and a large space to roam. He had nothing to fear for them. 

That was an emotion that came to him in waves. Fear had suddenly become an everyday emotion. Maybe he  _ had _ lost his emotions, all but one. Every loud bang made him jump, everytime someone spoke he’d flinch, he would even cower when Vernon looked at him for longer than a few seconds. Completely different from how he acted around Fulgur. 

Yet for some reason, despite the lack of emotions, Harry was sure something was wrong with him. Because at the end of the day Harry wasn’t acting like he had before Fulgur. It felt like he was trapped inside his own head, watching someone else play him like a game, where the only option was to submit. 

Old Harry would have bounced back right away. He would have done everything he was told, yes, but he’d do it his own way. With his head held high and a bit of sass. This Harry kept his head low, his voice quiet to the point of not even speaking, and a broken look on his face. 

It was wrong in so many ways, and the only time he could break free was when he left the house, or sat in his room. He wondered if someone had done something. He couldn't even ask either because Venandi was locked away in the suitcase. He huffed indignantly, a spark of anger breaking through the emotional barrier. Progress.

When he was outside he moved slowly, his excuse being that he had to be gentle with the plants. Petunia was dumb enough to buy it. She sat under the verandah watching him do his work with a small smile on her face. This was the only time she was completely calm around him. Their love of plants seemed to be the  _ only _ thing they could agree on. 

Harry looked back to where she was sitting and frowned. She was no longer there. He moved over to the door and peered inside warily to see what was going on. Petunia was waving her arms around, gesturing wildly, while Vernon ignored her. 

Then suddenly Vernon was standing. A wood poker for the fireplace burning hot in his hands. Harry’s eyes narrowed. Petunia seemed to get more frantic as Vernon seemed to walk towards him. Harry swallowed as he watched Vernon lift the poker menacingly. 

Then as if possessed Vernon lunged towards him. Harry backpedaled, nearly tripping over a basket on the floor. Then he turned and ran up the stairs into his room. All the while Vernon chased after him with loud thundering steps. 

He pushed against his door as Vernon tried to get in, refusing to allow the man to hurt him, but he was larger, and Harry was kept small and weak for most of his life. So eventually Vernon won the battle of strength. The door slammed open for the fifth time that week, this time, it left a hole in the wall where the handle made contact. 

The poker was still burning hot, glowing orange and radiating heat. Harry backed up slowly, Vernon followed every step, until eventually, Harry was backed into a corner. 

“You may be going to that wretched school soon, and I’ll be so glad to not see you all year, but I figured I could give you something to remember us by.” the large man said, a menacing grin on his face.

Harry can’t quite remember what happened next. His memory fuzzy at best and at worst it was nonexistent. He remembers waking up with a bloody nose, his left eye swollen shut, and a burning pain in his back. Petunia, for the first time since he was a child, was kind enough to take care of him. Even if it was only because they couldn't afford to take him to the hospital, lest they be deemed child abusers. And Harry had laughed then, because that’s exactly what it was wasn't it? They were abusing him. 

And yet, he couldn't tell anyone, because for some fucked up reason, he’d get sick even thinking about it. Oh had he tried to talk about it once, not even to a person, but to a notebook. He thought he had to puke. He was right, but it wasn't breakfast that came out. But rather a glob of blood that stained his shirt. 

So he would die if he tried, that is what he learned from all this. Someone wanted him so submissive, that if he even tried to fight against it, he would die. What a messed up world he lived in. He didn't know what was worse, Voldemort killing his parents, or the man who kept trying to control his life to be the perfect pawn in a game he didn't want to play. He wasn't even sure it was Dumbledore but he had a gut feeling it was. 

Harry picked up the mail that day and sifted through it numbly. Vernon, Vernon, Petunia, Vernon, Harry, Ver- Harry? He looked at the envelope in his hand and twisted it around. It was a week before Hogwarts started, how was he supposed to buy his things in a week with his muggle relatives? How thoughtless. He tucked the letter into his jean pocket and put the rest of the mail on the kitchen table. Vernon snatched it up with greedy hands. 

Harry was meant to make dinner that night but earlier Petunia had given him a stern look and said she’d take care of it. Apparently there was a  _ special _ person coming over later that night and Harry was to not be seen or heard by them. Typically this was a normal occurrence, Vernon having associates coming over for dinner, but for some reason Petunia seemed especially wary of this specific visitor. It made Harry’s stomach churn.

He slipped upstairs and into his room. As a pastime he took up drawing, he drew anything and everything, including clothing ideas. As his visit to Madame Malkins had sparked an interest. So he drew until his wrists couldn't handle the pain anymore. He knew his left wrist was probably misaligned, which is why it was so hard to hold things sometimes. His right was only a little less so. He was favoring his right hand now but he still wrote as if he were ambidextrous. 

Boy did he try to write. His broken wrists had made the writing painful, making it so that the further he wrote the less legible everything became. He hoped someone in the wizarding side of the world knew how to fix this. Because he was  _ not _ working like this.

There was a thunk from downstairs and hissed threats from his uncle. Which surprised Harry because only he had threats directed at him by his Uncle. Needless to say his curiosity was piqued. He cracked the door open to listen to the conversation.

“Mr. Dursley you must understand, I’m only doing this because it will protect you too.” the new voice said. This must be the guest Petunia was talking about.

“No,  _ you _ don't understand. We told you we don't want any freakishness in this house. The Dark Duke guy is dead already, we don't need protection from what doesn’t exist.” his uncle rumbled. Harry snorted, Dark Duke? That's the funniest name he's ever heard someone call Voldemort. 

“Please Mr. Dursley you  _ must _ believe me. It is of the utmost importance that Harry stays. Especially during the holidays.” the new voice said. It was tinged with magic, magic so powerful Harry could feel it, feel the compulsion to listen. But in his room it had no effect on him. How odd. 

Whoever this was, Dumbledore or not, they were trying to get his family to listen to him. Keep him home for the entire summer holidays. But Harry knew it wouldn’t work. Having pulled his book on the Fae out to read. The mesmer couldn't be overcome by mere compulsions without the caster removing said mesmer. So if they wanted Harry to stay, they'd need Fulgur to remove his own.

Harry smirked to himself, half numb, and half full of emotion. The magic felt familiar. Which meant this as the guy who’s been fucking with him all summer. And if he’s lucky Harry will develop a resistance to their magic. Harry tuned back in as Vernon’s voice raised higher.

“OUT! OUT OUT OUT!” he cried.“You cannot tell us what to do! Now get your freakishness out of this house and LEAVE!!!” 

Harry ducked behind the door as a figure came into view, he couldn't see them clearly but he did notice one thing about them. They were wearing high heeled boots.

  
  
  


The day of Harry’s departure couldn’t have come sooner in Harry’s opinion. And during the time he was waiting he pushed against all the compulsions placed on him by that strange man. He did it subtly, thinking of things that would typically make him sick, every day until he started to talk about it to himself. The magic resistance training was working. If only just barely. He could write it down now, but he couldn't hand it to anyone to read, not unless he wanted to cough up blood. 

So he’d have to work harder at it once he was at Hogwarts. The thought of even attending made him excited, even if the headmaster might be behind his fucked up way of living. When Fulgur showed up to pick him up he was looked over critically. Obviously noticing the broken wrists Fulgur had expressed great worry. And even though he’d been working at it, Harry still couldn’t tell the fae  _ exactly _ what happened. 

So he did the next best thing, he gave a half truth. He told Fulgur that he’d tripped over Vernon and landed wrong with the older man on top of him. And with the odd angle his bones couldn’t take it. Fulgur had squinted at his explanation and looked Harry in the eyes for a long moment. Then he Looked at Vernon whose face was drained of color but nodded along with what Harry said. Eventually Harry convinced Fulgur to leave so he wouldn’t be late for the train.

The fae had ripped through the veil and travelled through the fae realm a short distance before opening another tear into Kings Cross Station. Harry stepped out of the tear onto the platform and gasped. Platform nine and three-quarters was huge, with a large red and black train, and tons of people milling about. Harry looked around excitedly before spotting Draco on the other side of the platform. The two made eye contact and Harry waved excitedly.

“Alright there moonchild don't go running off just yet.” Fulgur said, pulling him back. Harry pouted making Flugur snort in amusement. Fulgur gripped his face and looked into his eyes.

“You are very special Harry. Children your age don’t typically know how to do wandless and wordless magic. Nor are they shadowcasters. What you have is a gift, one very powerful and dangerous, so be careful.” Harry nodded.

“Don't tell  _ anyone _ about your abilities unless you know you can trust them. And if you need help then don't hesitate to ask. Especially with those wrists of yours. I want you healed as soon as possible. Got it?” Harry’s head bobbed up and down as he bounced in excitement. 

“Alright moonchild, go have fun, and send a letter at least once every few weeks. I’d like to know if my heir is okay.” Harry grinned and lifted his suitcase as if that answered everything. Which technically it did since Venandi was in the case as well as Regiis. Fulgur let out a quiet chuckle and pushed Harry in the direction of Draco.

Harry ran-no, he walked at a brisk pace thank you very much- over to Draco who lunged at him and pulled him into a deathgrip of a hug. Lucius squawked from behind them as Narcissa cooed at them.

“Oh hush darling you’re just jealous that draco doesn’t do that to you anymore when you get home.” Narcissa said lightly slapping her husband’s arm. She leveled Harry with a warm smile and held out her hand. Harry pushed Draco away and took hold of Narcissa’s hand and bowing low to place a chaste kiss to her hand.

“A pleasure to meet you Lady Malfoy, I’ve heard many great things from your son.” he said smoothly. Narcissa’s face heated up slightly. Not used to the polite gesture from someone so young.

“The pleasure is all mine Heir LeFay. I’ve also heard many things about you.” She said with a mischievous wink. Harry straightened up in curiosity.

“And what pray tell has heir Malfoy spoken of? All good things I hope.” He says with an equally mischievous glint in his eye. 

“Many things Mr. LeFay. Some include how well your hair looks and how pretty your eyes are.” she said dreamily. Harry internally grimaced but played along.

“He sure does know how to flatter me. Did you know the first time we spoke he asked if I was a veela?” The resulting look of scandalousness was not missed by either Harry or Lucius. Draco was trying his hardest to make Harry shut up.

“And when I replied no he said, and I quote,  **_“I’ve just been told that Veela are rather distinctive. Most of them are depicted as beautiful, with pale and smooth skin, and slightly pointed ears.”_ ** , it was very flattering to say the least. To be compared to a Veela is to be compared to beauty.” he said pretending to swoon into Draco’s arms.

Draco huffed and threw him off with a flushed face. His mother was giggling next to Lucius whose own face was full of embarrassment. 

“Oh would you look at that, it’s time to board the train, off you go.” Lucius said pushing them along all the while Narcissa on the verge of cackling at her husband’s apparent embarrassment. Harry wasn't sure why he was and not so much Draco but he didn't dwell on the thought.

The two boys were ushered onto the train, Harry pulling in his suitcase with the protectiveness of a mother bear. He found an empty compartment and sat down waiting for Draco to join him. But frowned when the other boy claimed he wanted to find his other friends. 

Harry closed the compartment door with a huff and set his suitcase down. Then he opened it and pulled out a book to read. It was about human biology, something he was supposed to learn in secondary school, but obviously he wasn't about to anytime soon with all the magic in the way. He might as well get it done now.

It wasn't long after that he was bothered. The train had started moving already so he looked to see who had decided to bother him. What he saw was a pair of red headed twins. Both looked at him with a plea in their eyes.

“Hide us from our mean big brother?” one pleaded.

“We’ll pay you back if you do.” said the second one.

Harry looked them over before dragging them in and slamming the door shut. He heard someone going door to door around them and opened his suitcase. He motioned for them to move and slid the case on the floor.

“Jump into the center. It’s a personal room I use to hide sometimes. Do. Not. Touch.  _ Anything.”  _ the two boys nodded curtly before one by one juming in. Harry closed the lid just as the door opened. He looked up to see another redhead with curled hair looking around the compartment.

“Have you seen a pair of redheads? Possibly twins?” Harry shook his head which made the other boy sigh in defeat as he yet again didn't find the brothers he was so desperately looking for. The boy left after slamming the doors closed once more. Harry was starting to feel bad for these poor doors.

A few minutes later one of the twins popped his head out, then the other did right behind the first one. They looked like the meerkats he’d seen in Dudley’s old picture books. He opened the case for them and let them climb out before locking the case again and setting it beside him gently.

“Nice place you got there”

“Yeah real nice, big and-”

“Spacious, you have a lot of”

“Books as well, fancy yourself-”

“A ravenclaw by chance?”

The two brothers spoke back and forth as if sharing a mental link. Kind of like himself and Regiis. Which isn’t impossible but rare in most cases. He was impressed by these twins. 

“Not sure actually, I’ve been told I could fit into any house. Though ravenclaw does sound nice.” he said wistfully.

“You sound as if it”

“Won’t be what is chosen” the twins stare at each other worriedly for a while before looking back at Harry. 

“Well my parents were in Gryffindor and everyone else assumes I’ll go there so I’m not sure… Oh right, I’m Harry by the way, Harry Potter.” he says holding his hand out. The twins look at each other before individually shaking his hand.

“ I’m Fred and this is my brother-”

“George, and we’re the Weasley twins-”

“Of house Weasley.” the two of them say in unison. Harry smirks at them and winks.

“Nice to meet you Gred and Forge, I’ve been looking for some friends to make on the train. My own friend ran off to find some more.” he said with an annoyed huff. Then suddenly the door slid open to reveal, low and behold, Draco Malfoy himself. The blonde began to sneer for a moment until a sharp look sent from Harry made him stop.

“Weasley’s” he said with a curt nod.

“Malfoy.” They replied stiltedly.

Harry rolls his eyes and drags the blonde down before staring at the crowd of people outside. Each of them looked of pureblood standards and Harry cursed inwardly. He was so hoping to relax on the train.

“You didn't tell them of my title did you?” he asked Draco quietly. The Blonde shook his head rapidly. Harry smiled and sat back down. 

“I see a crowd of impressionable children have come to greet you Mr. Potter.” Fred said.

“Quite so, shall we make our leave, brother?” George asked.

  
  


“I think we shall brother. It was nice meeting you Mr. Potter but I’m afraid we have a busy schedule.”

“People to see-”

“Brothers to prank.” Harry rolled his eyes and sent them off with a wave of his hand. The twins bowed low to the purebloods and sauntered off into the back of the train.

“What an odd pair of Weasels.” Draco said suddenly. Harry snorted and nudged him gently in the ribs.

“Enough, what have I told you about judging others before getting to know them?” Harry said with a glare. Draco seemed to wilt under the gaze which made the others antsy.

“Sorry, my family has never really gotten along with the Weasleys. Or so my father tells me, but I’m not sure I believe him, though he did call them blood traitors. And muggle sympathizers.” Harry huffed in annoyance. Lucius Malfoy seemed worse the more time he spoke to the Malfoy heir.

“Yes well we’ve already discovered that Muggles are interesting. Which reminds me, I did what you suggested in your letter over the summer hols.” he said, digging into a pocket of his suitcase and handing over three notebooks written front to back about Muggles. 

“All of this is about the muggle world?” Draco asked, surprised. The others who had finally decided to sit in the compartment looked between them in curiosity.

“That and more, I found very interesting topics to study, so I wrote everything. As much as I could write down at the very least, it's amazing what the lack of magic can make people do. Also please introduce me to your fine acquaintances. I wish to not give a bad impression when we’ve only just met.” he replied with a soft smile. Draco perked up and started pointing them out.

“Going in order from right to left we have, Daphne Greengrass, Thedore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Milicent Bulstrode.” he said with a smile.

“It's nice to meet you all. If you haven’t already guessed by my name drop from earlier, I’m Harrison James Potter. Or as most of you know me, Harry potter.” He said bowing. The others bowed back. 

“Is it true?” Theodore had spoken up. Harry looked at him sceptically.

“Was your mom really a muggleborn? Because she was amazing.” Daphne squealed. 

That… was not a reaction he expected from that question. He looked at Draco who shrugged. Then he looked at Daphne and motioned for her to continue. She flushed slightly before speaking once more.

“It’s just, Your mother was the first witch to ever get all O’s in both her core classes and ministry classes. Not including the ones she had in runes and care of magical creatures. I believe she was training to get a charms mastery from Professor Filius Flitwick who will be our own charms professor this year.” she rambled out. Then she went dead quiet as she realized she was praising someone who was probably muggleborn. Though the smile Harry and Draco gave her stilled her beating heart.

“Technically she was a half-blood, born to a pureblood squib and a muggle. But she was raised a muggle and therefore deemed a muggleborn. I am quite shocked to know that my mother was a straight O student in most of her classes if not all. I haven’t heard a great deal about her from my family. I’d like to know more.” he said truthfully.

Daphne’s eyes lit up and she nodded happily.

“I can ask my mother to tell me about her. They knew each other in school and were both studying for masteries but under different instructors.” she said gleefully. If he were honest, Harry was not expecting such a warm welcome from a group pureblood heirs and heiresses. He expected some backlash from differing societal views but so far nothing has come along.

“So then, you’re a pureblood?” Blaise asked. Ah, here we go.

“Technically yes, by all accounts I would be considered a pureblood. Though I myself do not care for the title as it carries a lot of weight and implications. Some of which I am uncomfortable with.”

He expected someone to scoff, to throw a fit possibly, but all he got were calculating stares. Much like his own towards them. The door opened again and Harry turned to see a bushy haired girl standing in front of a timid looking boy.

“Have any of you seen a toad? Neville seems to have lost his.” the girl asked. Harry and the rest of the compartment all shook their heads as one. Then Pansy stood up with a studious glare. 

“Are you a muggleborn?” she said with a semi sneer. Ah there was the reaction he was looking for. The girl seemed to blink at the question before nodding slowly. Pansy muttered something about vile muggles but Harry had stood up and approached the two at the door. 

“Would you care to join us? I’m sure the toad will show eventually. And if it hasn’t by the time we get to the school then we can ask an upper year to summon it for us.” he said with ease. He didn’t wait for them to answer as he guided them into the last spots in the compartment.

Neville looked terrified to be there. The muggleborn looked confused but accepted the candy he had offered her as he sat down next to them. He smiled gently at her and held her hand softly running circles into her skin. A trick Fulgur taught him to ease another's nerves. She seemed to relax and smiled back.

“Tell me miss-” he paused.

“Granger, Hermoine Granger.” she supplied. He grinned in return.

“Tell me Miss Granger, what is it like to be a first generation in your family?” he asked. She seemed taken aback by his question but smiled full force. 

“It was quite a shock really, the first witch in the family. Though a blood test at Gringotts told us that there was a wizard in the family about fifteen generations back. I was so confused at first until McGonagall told me I was a witch. And that what I was capable of was magic. It’s quite amazing honestly.” Harry nodded, knowing the feeling quite well, as Regiis had told him about his abilities at a young age. He still couldn't believe he was capable of such things sometimes.

“Indeed, and what about your wand?” he asked eagerly. She perked up in response.

“It was amazing… I- I felt so empowered. Like I finally found a piece of me that had been missing! I’ve never felt anything so wonderful!” she said. Harry nodded happily alongside her. The others were confused but were drawn into the conversation nonetheless.

“You know, in old muggle books and fairy tales witches are always deemed the bad guy. But we aren’t really. We’re just misunderstood.” she said softly as she stared down at her wand. 

The door opened again revealing the elder Weasley brother once more who stated they needed to get changed. Hermoine jumped up stating that her case was in the other compartment and dragged Neville out the door with her. Harry waved them off before closing the door and pulling on his robes over his already dressed self. 

“What did you call her earlier? And why?” Draco asked suddenly. The look of curiosity covering his face as he got dressed.

“I called her a first generation. As a follower of Hecate I believe that magic is not obtained by muggles through immoral means, but rather as a gift from the mother of magic herself, and as such, all magical beings, muggle or otherwise, deserve respect as they were chosen by the goddess herself.” the others gaped at him for a solid minute before sputtering.

“But that's considered Darke. Where did you even learn stuff like that?” Daphne asked. She sounded horrified but the glint in her eyes told another story. He smirked instead of answering, making the others grumble.

The train came to an abrupt stop making them lurch in their seat and look out the window. He could see boats upon a large lake but nothing more. So he followed the group out and towards the boats. 

“Firs’ years over here! Firs’ years!” a large man bellowed.

“No more th’n four ter a boat.” he called.

Harry sat next to Draco as Daphne and Blaise followed behind. Harry smiled at Daphne who smiled back sweetly. Then the boats began moving on their own. Harry watched the creatures in the water go by. Some even stopped to somewhat wave and he waved back. 

Then the gasps had him looking up. His gaze landed upon the large castle known as Hogwarts. And Harry had to admit, the castle was quite charming, even if it looked somewhat run down. But Harry had lived in something more amazing. To him, nothing could compare to the fae realm.

The boats stopped by the shore and all of the students climbed out. Though Blaise almost fell into the lake when Daphne pushed him to hurry up. It was just a bit funny but he helped steady Blaise so he could join the others. They followed the large man up to a set of large double doors. 

A woman stepped out with a pointed hat and a set of green colored teaching robes. 

“Th’ firs’ years McGonagall.” the large man said. Draco made a comment about his lack of vocabulary which made Harry in turn nudge him harshly. Drco hissed and nudged him back not nearly as hard.

“Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am professor McGonagall. Soon we will enter the great hall and you will be sorted into your new houses. Please wait here for just a moment and then we will begin.” she said before walking away and through the double doors. 

Then Harry was pulled out of his thoughts as a strange tug at his magic was felt. He looked around confused before a group of Ghosts materialized through the walls. 

“I say baron we must be rid of Peeves at once, he gives us ghosts a bad reputation.” one of them said.

“Don't be brash, he can be useful at times. It would be a shame to waste such potential-” the other ghost stopped and stared directly at Harry as if seeing the light for the first time. The other ghosts seemed to notice and a portly one moved forwards curiously.

“My my what do we have here, I say, I’ve never seen any of you before.”

“We’re first years of course. We’re about to be sorted.” one of the students said. He wasn't sure who but it sounded like Hermoine.

“Oh of course, how silly of me. I had forgotten what time of year it was. Good luck to each of you, I hope some of you join Hufflepuff. It was my own house you know.” the ghost said with a wink before floating off. 

The baron stared at Harry for a moment longer before being pulled from his trance by another ghost. They slipped out of view just as McGonagall came back. How odd.

“We will now begin the sorting ceremony, if you would please follow me.” she commanded. She then walked back inside with the students following after her one by one.

They walked the long narrow halls for what felt like a long time until finally a door filled with the sound of talking was in front of them. As they entered Harry craned his neck to look around. He spotted the twins at one of the tables giving him a thumbs up. He grinned back and returned the gesture. 

When they lined up, everyone quieted down as a hat on a stool in the center of the room came to life. And for the next few minutes Harry heard what sounded like both an angel and a dying horse singing as once. Because don't get him wrong, the hat knew how to sing, but it’s voice grated on his nerves.

The hat stopped and everyone but Harry started clapping. Were these people tone deaf or something? He thought with a grimace.

“When I call your name, you will sit on the stool, then I will place the sorting hat on your head. Then you will be sorted into your house.” McGonagall stated. Then lifted the parchment to her face.

“Abott Hannah!” she called loudly. A shy looking girl walked up to the Stool and sat. The hat was placed upon her head and not long after Harry heard the hat say.

“HUFFLEPUFF!!!” the table with presumably the Hufflepuff’s cheered and clapped for their new housemate. So then it was everyone else's turn. In all honesty Harry would have cared less about where the others went. He just knew whatever house he is chosen to be in is where he’ll thrive. At least, Fulgur had said so.

“SLYTHERIN” the hat shouted once more. Barely even touching Draco’s head. Harry snorted. Looks like he got what he wanted.

“Potter, Harry!” the room went quiet as a bore Harry made his way to the stool. He sat down and felt the hat placed on his head.

**_“Hmm, how interesting. Quite an odd life you have Mr. Potter. Or should I say LeFay?”_ ** the hat asked inside his head. Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.

**_“Moody as well I see. Understandable in your current situation. Living with a Ravenclaw for nearly a year has rubbed off on you. Your thirst for knowledge has grown. You also have a strong sense of loyalty. Lot’s of courage as well. Oh but your ambition is quite high. Now where to place you.”_ ** The hat seemed to sit for a long time on his head. Then Harry pulled up a few ideas in his head that he’d been thinking of and the hat chuckled.

“Very well, better be SLYTHERIN!!!” The hall went dead quiet and the dread in Harry’s gut increased ten fold.


	7. The Potions Professor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week of school has been a bit odd. Especially that strange potions professor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene during the first potions class is directly quoted from the book as I quite enjoyed the way it was written and didn't want to ruin such a scene by trying to re-write it. So yes it was directly quoted from JKR and not myself. Therefore it doesn't belong to me in any way.

The silence in the great hall was deafening. He would have thought time had stopped if not for the sound of his heart beating in his ears. Everyone was staring, jaws dropped, eyes wide, as if they'd just witnessed the biggest scandal of the century. And honestly, they probably just did. After all, Potter’s were known to go to Gryffindor. 

The hat was chuckling above him, probably finding some sort of perverse pleasure in all this, Harry was not impressed. But despite the fear coiling in his gut, Harry wouldn’t tell the hat it made a mistake. Because obviously it hadn't. 

So he shook off the tense atmosphere and pulled the hat off himself. Just as he walked to his table three pairs of clapping hands caught his attention. Surprisingly from the Gryffindor table. Harry blinked in shock as Fred, George, and Hermoine all stood up and clapped for him. Then as a whole, the rest of the hall started to clap, though a bit hesitant. 

He smiled at the twins who flashed him a thumbs up in response. He liked them already and he’d only just met them. Agents of chaos were always so much easier to get along with. He sat next to Draco who clapped him on the back and gave him a bright grin. He smiled back. 

The room calmed once more as the next student was called up. But Harry could feel someone watching him. He looked around the room only to lock eyes with a dreary looking professor with a hooked nose.

“Who's that there near the end?” He asked Draco quietly. The blonde perked up and waved to the man who raised his hand briefly.

“That’s Severus Snape, my godfather. He’s also the slytherin head of house. Any problems you need help with goes to him. He’s trustworthy and won’t tell your secrets so go to him if you need to.” Harry hummed noncommittal. He wouldn't be blabbing his secrets so soon. Not unless it’s of major importance.

The clapping died down for the last time as the headmaster stood up. Harry trained his eyes on the old man, not looking into his twinkling orbs, Fulgur had always said he knew legilimency and Harry wasn't taking any chances.

“Another new year at Hogwarts. Welcome all, welcome, before we begin the feast I have a few words to say. Nitwit blubber oddment tweak!” Harry’s eyes narrowed. Well Fulgur was right, the man must be senile, absolutley barmey. Because that made absolutely no sense to him.

From his right, Draco made a comment voicing Harry’s own thoughts, everyone around them laughed. Food suddenly appeared on the table and Harry nearly jumped out of his seat. His heart raced as he tried to calm down. Months of abuse from Vernon had him on edge constantly. 

He hated the feeling, despite knowing he was in a safe environment, with Vernon no longer around, he couldn’t escape the paranoia that someone was out to get him. He inwardly hissed curses at himself. He should be used to this by now, why couldn’t he just ignore it?

There was little food on his plate, despite the fact food wasn’t withheld from him anymore, he still couldn’t eat much. His stomach was just that small. And the fear that the mesmer would break kept him from grabbing larger portions. But he did grab an extra dinner roll to save for when he made his offering to Hecate. His magic flared slightly as if telling him he was heard and he smiled as the roll suddenly disappeared in a fine purple haze.

No one saw of course, he had his hand under the table. It was drilled into his head that others thought of it as dark magic and not just the Darke practices. The thought that people no longer gave offerings to their preferred god or goddess disgusted him. They were so obviously there, so why shun them? 

He ate the rest of his food, leaving scraps on his plate, as an extra offering should his goddess want it. He looked to his left to see the older years staring at him and whispering. He flashed a grin to one person who was waving at him. Some of them cowering away at the sight of his pointed teeth. 

He rolled his eyes as the food disappeared causing him to flinch slightly. He grimaced at himself and huffed. Dumbledore stood up once more and opened his arms wide. 

“Before we send you off to bed I have a few announcements to make. Mr. Filch would like to remind everyone that there is to be no magic used in the halls between classes.” he says, gesturing to a man in the corner of the room. He was holding what Harry thought was a cat. At least he hoped it was.

“I’d like to say that the forbidden forest is also not to be entered for any reason. And lastly, the third floor corridor is off limits to all who wish to not die a slow and painful death.” he said bluntly. Harry tilted his head, what the hell is this man on? Is he some sort of idiot? 

“Now prefects please escort the first years to the house common rooms.” Dumbledore said turning to the teachers and speaking quietly. 

The smiling girl from earlier stood up along with a tall auburn haired boy. They named themselves as prefects and told them to follow their lead. Harry shuffled down the halls with the rest of his housemates walking further and further into the dungeons. They turned the corner into a dead end and Harry watched in amusement as the others gasped in surprise as the wall opened into a large ornate room. It was brightly lit with full bookshelves, portraits, and loveseats. There were tables near the bookshelves with comfortable looking chairs around them. But the thing that excited Harry was the windows that viewed out into the lake.

Draco dragged Harry over to a loveseat and sat down as the prefects told them to wait for their head of house. Harry pulled out his shrunken suitcase and resized it.

“When did you?” Draco asked, gesturing wildly at the now full sized suitcase. Harry just snorted and opened it up. He reached in and grabbed Regiis from his sun rock. The snake hissed indignantly but let himself be pulled out anyway. 

The snake wrapped around Harry as it felt his tenseness. The link between them in full effect once more now that the snake was out of its confinement. 

“Ah yes the true slytherin of the hour. Able to command snakes at the best of times and chasing them at the worst.” Draco said dramatically. That caught the attention of most of the house who stared at Harry and Regiis confused. Harry lightly slapped Draco’s arm as Regiis laughed in his own hissy way. 

“Shut up you ass, that was supposed to be a secret.” he said, pouting as Regiis reached his head over to Draco who went to scratch his chin.

A hand intercepted the action making both Regiis and himself stare up at who had stopped them. Harry watched as the greasy looking professor glared at Regiis. The look told of pain that made Harry’s hackles rise in challenge. His magic seeped out spooking the professor into staring at him. Then the man frowned.

“Mr. Potter, the school has a policy of only allowing pets if they are a cat, owl, or toad. If you do not follow the rules then I will have to get rid of him.” he drawled out in annoyance. Harry narrowed his eyes.

“He is not a  _ pet _ sir. He is my familiar and I will not send him away.” Harry hissed. He pulled Regiis closer to himself glaring at the man in challenge. The man turned up his nose and scoffed.

“Only Parselmouths can become the master of a serpent. There is no way it is your familiar.” Harry went to protest when Draco cut him off.

“He can speak to snakes, Father and I saw him at the train station.” Harry stared in shock. Because one, he hadn't spoken to Regiis at the train, and two, Draco didn't need to stand up for him. Snape narrowed his eyes at his godson before turning to Harry.

“Prove it.” he stated.

Harry jumped slightly in a flash of fear. He mentally berated himself for doing so then nodded to the man. Then he untangled Regiis from himself.

“Anyone can have a snake for a familiar sir but if you insist,” he said dully.  _ “Regiis, I want you to initiate boop protocol to the greasy man. Do not bite him,”  _ he hissed loudly for Snape to hear. Regiis nodded and reached out towards the man's hand. Snape tensed but did nothing as Regiis placed his nose against the man’s hand.

“What did you ask him to do?” Snape asked curiously. Harry smiled while pulling Regiis away who booped his own nose.

“Boop protocol sir. Sometimes when I’m feeling upset Regiis will place his nose against my forehead. It’s actually quite calming.” he said quietly. The rest of the students were all straining to hear them and Harry glared at them. Draco copied his action which made the others back off.

“I see. You’ve proven yourself, you may  _ keep _ your familiar here. But do  _ not _ let him wander unsupervised.” he said with a sneer. It was like he was trying not to like Harry. Which was odd because Harry hadn't done anything to the man… Yet. Snape turned around with a flourish of his robes

“Good evening slytherins, I am Professor Severus Snape, I am your head of house and future potions instructor. There are a few rules I expect each and every one of you to follow. Should you manage to forget them they are written and posted on the board by the door.” Harry glanced over to the door to see a single sheet of parchment with words written on it.

“In this house we are a family. And as such we look out for each other. As you may know, our house is the most scrutinized, people tend to treat us poorly because of it. Outside of this room you walk as one. No one is to be left behind no matter what. Squabbles between you will remain in this room. Do not fight in the halls as it shows weakness between you that others will exploit.”

“If you have any, and I mean  _ any _ serious issues, come straight to me. I will help you even if it seems like I might not. If you are hurt, go straight to madame Pomfrey, should anything bad happen and I am not near, go to the nearest prefect or professor. This includes students from other houses who need help. We are not heartless, so show them we aren't.” he says gesturing to the prefects.

“Your prefects for this year are Gemma Farley and Crowley Redshire. First and second years are to be in bed by nine, third through fifth by ten-thirty, sixth and seventh years by twelve. If you sneak out… don't get caught.” he said with a smirk. Then he billowed out of the common room. 

Harry turned back to face Draco only to be met by wide curious eyes. Most of the inhabitants of the room looked between him and Regiis. He pulled the serpent closer as Crabbe tried to reach out and touch him.

“Are you related to Slytherin?” one of them asked. Harry choked on his own saliva. Draco hit his back a few times as he tried to breath.

“I- wha- No???” he said, confused. 

“But only Slytherin’s could speak to snakes. And you can so that makes you an heir of Slytherin” another said. Some of the sixth and seventh years who had been glaring at him earlier looked less murderous and more interested in him.

“I’m pretty sure I would know if I was related to Slytherin. Besides they were hardly the only people who could speak the snake tongue.” he said with a wry smile. Some of them shrugged as if they didn’t believe him.

“Honestly people, I for one don’t care if he happens to be an heir. It’s not like anything special would come of it. He’s a student like us, so treat him like it.” Blaise said from the corner of the room. He was leaning on the wall with a bored look on his face.

“Oh shove off Zabini you’re just jealous that you can’t talk to snakes.” someone from next to Harry responded. Blaise flushed and clenched his fist. Harry sighed, shaking his head.

“No, he’s right, even if I am an heir, I’m just a student. I’m not some untouchable being nor am I some stupid savior the world thinks I am. I’m just Harry Potter, a boy who wants to learn magic. Now then curfew is nearly upon us and I’d like to sleep.” He said standing up and stretching.

The tall prefect from earlier stood up as well and motioned for them to follow. Some of the first years seemed annoyed at the prospect of going to bed early but followed nonetheless.

“There are six rooms to choose from, as this group is so small there can be two to a room. When you enter the room your stuff will be placed next to one of the beds and the doors keyed to your magic. No one is to enter another's room without permission. We don't need another Thomas incident.” he said the last part with slight annoyance. He didn't bother to elaborate either but Harry got the idea that it didn't end very well for Thomas.

Harry split off from the group, entering one of the rooms to the right of the hall. There was a scuffle from outside and Harry ignored it in favor of setting up the privacy runes Fulgur had given him. Then the door creaked open, revealing Draco, Theodore, and Blaise. Harry raised a brow at them, 

“We were trying to decide who gets to room with you.” Draco said quickly.

“ _ They _ were deciding. I was playing mediator.” Blaise elaborated with a sneer.

Harry looked between the three of them before yanking Blaise into the room. The door shimmered for a moment before slamming in Draco and Theo’s face. Harry looked at the door in shock before shrugging and going back to work on his bed. Magic was weird.

Blaise stared at him in shock, opening and closing his mouth like a gaping fish. Something that Harry gleefully commented out loud. Blaise’s mouth slammed shut with an audible click. 

“Why?” he asked.

“Because while I like Draco, he is a good friend, I also know he doesn’t sleep till late and will attempt to keep me up. And Theodore is too curious for his own good and will probably snoop into my stuff. You on the other hand don't seem to care who I am and I appreciate that. Now then, It’s late and I’d like to be up early so that Regiis can explore with me.” he said, changing into pajamas. He then jumped on the bed and closed the curtains.

  
  
  


The next day was interesting. Regiis woke him up, he took a shower in the shared bathroom, and walked down to the common room. Which is rather normal if he wasn't tripped down the stairs by a seventh years outstretched leg. He was lucky Regiis had been around his neck and not anywhere else. The snake reared up at the seventh year and hissed. His venom hitting the floor and melting through the carpet. 

The seventh year had paled and ran up the stairs to get away from the irate serpent. Harry shrugged it off and continued to the Common room. He found a book to read and flipped it open. Then, as if it were a running theme to bully Harry, someone took his book and threw it into the fire. 

Said book flung back into the person's face. A few girls laughed at him and pointed to the sign above the bookshelf reading  **_“the books fight back.”_ ** Harry snorted and grabbed the book again to read it. He was tempted to write a letter to Fulgur but held off. 

And for the rest of the day the bullying continued. Only in the house of course. None of them dared to go against the rules set in place. So Harry walked to his classes, Regiis curled around his neck like a living scarf. Only a few people even noticed until transfiguration. Or so he had thought

“Mr. Potter,” McGonagall called sternly, “The staff have been informed of your familiar. Please explain the benefits of having a familiar to the class so they quit being distracted.” Harry looked at her surprised. Then he nodded curtly and stood up.

“A familiar is not a pet, but rather a life long partner, their uses vary depending on what they are needed for. Most commonly they act as a magic stabilizer, much like a wand. They also serve as a source of protection from other harmful beings. Regiis for me is both a protector and a catalyst.” he said with a grin, reaching up and stroking the serpent who hissed his approval. 

“Most importantly they are your partners, they can become close enough to share a life force. If you were to die then so would they.” He said with finality. A hand was raised from one of the Gryffindors. A red head with a similarity to the twins. He looked almost scared. Harry nodded at him to speak.

“Would they turn against you? And how do you know if they are your familiar?” Harry hummed in thought.

“If you do forge a connection then no, they will not turn against you, they will however offer you advice. When Regiis connected to me as a familiar it was as if our magic had merged. I share a mental connection with him, he can put ideas into my mind and I can do as well to him.” another hand rose and he pointed to them.

“Can you have multiple? And I thought only parseltongues could have a snake familiar.” said a brunette on the gryffindor side. Harry sighed.

“Yes you can have multiple, but that is very rare, and no, anyone can have a snake as a familiar. Being a parseltongue can make it much easier to communicate but it is not required. The only serpent who requires a parselmouth is a basilisk.” McGonagall coughed into her hand and Harry tensed. “One last question.”

“Are Slytherin’s the only known parselmouths?” someone asked suddenly.

“A fine question, the answer depends though. If you’re asking if they are the only known ones in Europe? Yes they were. Anywhere else however and the answer would be no. Many Asian and African countries have parselmouths, I believe the Patil sisters could confirm that.” He’d noticed them during breakfast and was surprised to find them smiling at his snake.

“Parvati could you confirm this fact?” McGonagall asked suddenly, The girl looked bewildered but nodded and stood up. 

“It is quite common actually. Snake charmers or rather tamers are very popular around asia. I myself don’t have the ability but my cousin can speak to them. Where I’m from, it is seen as a gift to speak the serpent language.” She stated before sitting down.

“Very good, now that your questions have been answered, let's start the lesson.” The older professor said with a warm smile towards Harry. He sat down in his seat and watched as she cast the shrinking spell on a cauldron. 

He pretended to pay attention for most of the lesson, only participating when he was called on. They Would work on theory for the first week and then practical lessons afterwards. So Harry stared blankly out of the window until class ended. Then he walked to charms where the professor took one look at his name on the roster and fell over in shock.

For most of the morning he was followed around by the entirety of the first year Slytherins. As if he were some leader. On his right was Draco,and to his left was Blaise. He supposed since everyone followed Draco before then since Draco followed him so did they. It was odd, because obviously some people didn’t like the idea of him being the leader, but no one contested it.

On his way to lunch the red haired boy from earlier caught up to him. He was red faced and seemed to have been running. Harry steadied the boy as he was about to fall over. Then the kid held his hand out.

“Hi, I’m Ron, Ron Weasley.” he said with a hint of fear rolling off his magic. Harry pushed his own out in a soothing manner. Theo scoffed from behind and Harry glared sharply. 

“Harry potter,” he replied. “I met your twins on the train. Very odd those two.” He said, shaking Ron’s hand.

“Yeah mom seems to think so too. Says they’re mischievous troublemakers. But they act differently here at school.”

“Indeed?” Harry asks smoothly.

“My family kind of pushed all of the Pureblood stuff out. Mom said she just wanted to have a big happy family while dad wanted to continue his research. So my older brothers Charlie and Bill were the only ones taught to be all uptight and heir like.” he said with a frown before his eyes went wide. 

“Not that there's anything wrong with that, I’m just not used to the whole professional attitude, and most of them are slytherin, and I’ve been told that all Slytherins are evil- but obviously not all of them because you all seem like a nice bunch. And none of you have insulted me.” someone in the back whispered “yet” which made Ron frown slightly. Harry sent out a wave of annoyance to the group who all turned to glare at the person. 

“Don’t worry about them Ron. As long as you leave us alone then no one here will have a problem. I’m not sure about the older years but we’re all kind to one another right?” He asked Draco and Blaise who nodded eagerly. It was strange that they seemed to warm up to him so fast but he wasn’t complaining. 

Still though, something felt wrong about it all. But he just blamed it on the rules from the night before, it would all be normal again in the common room. He hoped it would at least. This was getting weird.

“Have a good lunch Ron.” he said dismissively and left to sit at the table. Everyone else followed behind. Some sneering as Ron left.

Lunch passed by in a blur, tomorrow they would have double potions with the gryffindors and Harry wasn't sure how he should feel. Snape clearly didn’t seem to like him, but he also said he would help even if it seemed like he hated you, so did he hate Harry or not? Regiis was right, humans are confusing.

The last class of the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts with professor Quirrell. And Harry had heard the strangest piece of information. The spot for the professor was cursed. No teacher lasted an entire year in that class. So when Harry entered the class and heard the stuttering teacher speak, he was really hoping it was cursed, because he would never be able to learn a thing with that horrible stutter. 

Not that he needed to. Fulgur, ever the overprepared Ravenclaw he is, had Harry study up to fourth year material. Of course he expected Harry to continue to study but Harry thought a few months off wouldn't hurt. He’ll begin again after Yule.

“M- Mister Potter. What i- is that ar- aro- around your n- neck,” the professor asked fearfully. Harry tilted his head and lifted Regiis up to see him. 

“My familiar sir. His name is Regiis, I thought all the professors were informed.” he replied sweetly. Quirrell paled slightly as the snake hissed.

“O- Of course I- I was m- merely asking. W- What b- b- breed is he?” Harry’s eyes narrowed. 

“I don't see why you need to know.” he hissed slowly. Quirrell frowned as he became more pale. “It’s not as if he would attack anyone. Unless I myself am attacked.”

“I m- mean no harm. I- w- was c- c- curious is all.” Harry grinned, showing his slightly sharpened teeth. 

“He’s a quetzalcoatl sir. I met him as a child and he’s been with me ever since.”

“I see.” was all he said before walking away with a glint in his eyes.

After class Harry waited for the rest of his house to pack up and headed for dinner. The table was full of food when they got there and Harry looked at it with a frown. It was the same spread as yesterday. He sat down, picked up an orange and held it under the table offering it to his goddess. The orange disappeared and Harry put food onto his plate. 

Three boys came into the hall later than the others. They were all laughing and shoving each other around. And when they passed Harry they shoved his head down. He put up a blank mask and cleaned the potatoes off his face as they walked away. He felt rage simmering underneath. They directly violated rule number two. Draco glared at the three of them only to receive a laugh from them.

“Are you okay Harry?” he asked. 

“I’ll live.” he said back. Draco’s frown deepened but he didn’t say anything else.

When dinner finished Harry walked back to the common room with a nasty taste in his mouth. He’d been excited to be at Hogwarts. Finally away from his abusers. But apparently the fates were out to get him.

He trudged up to his room only to pause at the door. Or rather, the lack of a door. Blaise was behind him and equally appalled by what he saw inside. Draco walked up, looked inside and blanched. 

On the floor was a large dead bird, thankfully not Venandi but it could have been, instead she was perched on his four poster bed radiating pure malice. On the walls written in blood was  **_“Freak. Halfblood scum. Son of a whore.”_ ** and unsurprisingly  **_“You’re Dead.”_ **

“I’ll grab my godfather.” Draco said quickly. Harry grabbed his shirt.

“No, I’ll deal with it.” Draco went to reply and Harry put his hand up. “If they’re dumb enough to try again then they’ll get what they deserve but for now it’s fine.”

“But Harry, it isn’t even day two. You did nothing wrong.”

“It’s  _ fine  _ Draco. Now go and let me clean this mess up.” Draco frowned but nodded anyway. He turned and left without another word.

Harry levitated the door up with his wand and re-attached it to the frame without as much as a word. Blaise looked impressed but frowned at the mess on the walls and floor. Harry turned towards it and said a quick “scourgify” cleaning the mess before it had enough time to dry. Harry picked up the dead bird and threw it into his suitcase.

Then he ran a hand over Venandi’s ruffled feathers in a soothing motion. The vulture butted her head against his before jumping into the case and shutting it. The case latched shut and Harry reapplied the locking runes. 

He narrowed his eyes at the door before casting a barrier charm over it. The charm made something similar to the barrier around Fulgur’s house. So if anyone Harry or Blaise didn’t trust tried to enter, then they’d be burned and thrown back. He turned towards Blaise with a frown.

“Don’t tell  _ anyone _ about this. I have secrets I want to keep and I don't need you ruining my fun.” Harry said with a slight growl. Blaise swallowed thickly before quickly nodding and sitting down on his own bed. That night Harry slept restlessly in his bed, his head full of nightmares, dead birds and angry men came for him and he could do nothing to stop it.

* * *

  
  


The next day started relatively the same. People tried to push him down the stairs, took his school supplies, and all together bullied him. Draco had tried to convince him to have Snape help but he brushed him off. Bullies didn't stop bullying just because they were told off by an adult. He knew that from experience.

“Honestly Harry you can’t let them treat you like this.” Draco had said. “Just let me help you. You can't do this by yourself just because you think you can.” 

“I don’t need your help Draco, I’ve dealt with people like this my whole life, a few more won’t change anything.” Harry replied coldly. Draco huffed and crossed his arms.

“Fine, be that way, but don’t come crying to me when they do something horrible. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ll go talk to people who actually take my advice.” Draco sneered and stomped off. From beside him Harry could see Blaise shake his head slowly.

“You have something to say Zabini?” Harry said in annoyance. Blaise put his hands up in surrender and chuckled.

“Nothing oh great one, just confused that you aren't accepting help from one of, if not the, most influential in this house.” Harry turned to face him completely with a tilted head. “You do know about the Malfoy’s, right?” Harry shrugged. Blaise blinked as if surprised by the revelation.

“Do you live under a rock?” he asked suddenly. Harry snorted and shook his head.

“No, I live with much worse.” he stated. Blaise raised a brow “Muggles” a look of understanding crossed the boys face, as if that had answered every question. Harry sighed in annoyance.

“I don't mean your everyday muggle, most of them are actually really nice, intelligent, and all around genuine people. But my muggles are the worst.” he said, a pit in his stomach suddenly filling to the brim. He felt sick and when Blaise motions to continue he shakes his head. 

“Ah, well, Draco is as you know, the heir of the Malfoy family. A family that most want the approval of.” Blaise says with barely contained disgust. “Lucius Malfoy is known to have his hands in everything. From politics to the school system he is there. The family is extremely wealthy and has practically everyone in their pocket. To see that you are denying the heir of a well known family is surprising.”

Harry hummed in thought. Fulgur had said Lucius was well known, that he had the minister under his thumb, but also that he was not the most trustworthy individual. And subconsciously, Harry had placed his son in that category as well, but should he have? Trust is something to be earned over time. Respect alongside it. But perhaps he had made a mistake in placing the Malfoy heir in his mental list. 

“I see, I may have done something I could come to regret later on, but I’ll deal with it on my own time. For now I’m starving and would like sustenance before dealing with the rest of today.” he said, his stomach growling in agreement. 

“Lead the way, I won’t let anyone bother you, for now.” Blaise said with a smirk. Harry rolled his eyes and left the common room. The rest of the first years came out afterwards and Draco pushed passed him to get to the front. Some of the other first years snickered and tried to jab at him. Only to receive a hex from Blaise.

Breakfast was both boring and annoying. Harry had his toast, eggs, and fruit making sure to offer some to Hecate. The others though had taken to scooting as far from him as possible. As if he carried some sort of disease. Blaise had rolled his eyes and sat even closer to him. Something Draco had noticed from his own seat. The blonde had scoffed and given Blaise a glare. The italian had only smiled back as if nothing was wrong.

Harry finished his meal and left the great hall with Blaise trailing him. The boy towering over him looked more like an upper year escorting him to class. Harry entered the potions class and took a seat near the front, Blaise sat next to him though hesitantly, probably not wanting to sit near the front. The others joined them not long after, choosing to sit further away, once again separating themselves from Harry and Blaise. 

Then the Gryffindor’s came in. They were loud, very excited, and very obnoxious. Harry rested his chin against his palm with a bored expression on his face. The potions room was different from the one at LeFay manor. This one seemed lived in, like it was used every day. The LeFay one was dusty and run down, only one area seemed to be worked in, while the rest was left alone. Fulgur must not make many potions, either that, or he didn’t like them.

The door swung open suddenly, hitting the wall behind it with a  **bang** . Harry cringed at the sound, flashes of past memories resurfacing. He pushed them down and listened to the sound of the professors voice.

“There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don’t expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few…” he says twisting around with a flair of his robes. “Who possess, the predisposition…” Harry peers closer at the man’s face looking for any subtle hint of an emotion.

“ I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death. Then again, I have yet to meet anyone with such promise, least of all my students.” he said with a sneer towards them all. Draco huffed out a quiet laugh from his seat earning an amused look from the professor. 

“Now then, can anyone tell me what I would get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?” He asked. A hand shot up from the Gryffindor side but Snape ignored it in favor of staring at Harry. “Perhaps you could tell me Mr. Potter.” Harry looked up at the professor thinking of the answer. His mind was switching back and forth between potion instructions and flower language. As Fulgur was very adamant that he learn both. 

“The Drought of Living Death sir. It’s a sleeping potion That many rarely wake up from.” Snape seemed surprised before nodding.

“Correct Mr. Potter, can you tell me what a bezoar is?” Harry nodded.

“It’s a stone found in the stomach of a goat sir.” he said as Regiis looked up at the professor. The snake booped the professors hand, making him glance at it briefly. 

“And what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane.” Harry looked at the professor confused for a moment. His brain picking up some hidden meaning behind the questions. But the professor couldn’t possibly mean that right?

“They’re the same thing professor. They are also known by the name aconite.” Snape jerked his head in a nod and looked around.

“Well? Don't just sit there you dunderheads, you should be taking notes!” he snapped. The rest of the class jumped to attention and pulled out Their Quills and parchment.

The rest of class was relatively boring, the basic intro to potions being taught, though Harry was continuously called on. Even when others were raising their hands. On the bright side he was earning slytherin a ton of points. Though Snape only seemed more perturbed. 

One particular instance had Harry flinching away from the man as he passed by. This caused Snape to stop and stare at him briefly with a confused face. But Harry just kept his head down and continued working. 

Halfway through class someone kept throwing bits of parchment at him. Harry glanced around to see Draco snickering as Pansy flung another piece at him. The piece hit Regiis in the head making the snake look around and hiss at Pansy who paled. Everyone else around him laughed quietly behind their fists. No one dared to tip Snape off.

Class ended not long after the scare and Pansy left the room shaking. Regiis sent him a feeling of pleasure as he watched her leave. Harry rolled his eyes and walked up to the potions master as everyone else left. He saw Blaise turn the corner and tapped on the man’s arm.

Snape stared at him with disdain. Obviously he hadn't been expecting Harry to stay behind.

“What is it?” he snapped. 

“I don't know why you continue to treat me like this but I’ll deal.” Snape snorted “I just wanted you to know she would have forgiven you.” Snape paused whatever he was doing to stare at Harry with narrowed eyes. “I seriously doubt my mother would be happy with you blaming yourself. Move on with your life.” he said bluntly. 

Snape had gone eerily silent, motionless, to the point Harry wasn't sure if the potions master was breathing. Suddenly Snape inhaled and released a shaky breath. 

“If this is some sort of debauched attempt at a joke, it is not appreciated, and I will not be made a fool of. Do you understand Mr. Potter?” he said seriously. Harry gaped, appalled at the suggestion. 

“You think I would joke about this?” he asked in disbelief. “This is my dead mother we’re talking about, who in their right mind would joke about that?” Snape glared at him and Harry shrunk back. 

“Your father would have, him and his deplorable friends, a bunch of degenerates who would rather watch the world burn.” he said with a growl. “And who's to say you won't be just like him? An insufferable bully with an inflated ego.” Harry blanched. This was nothing like he had read from the books. The books portrayed him as a nice loving husband and a wonderful student. 

**_“Never judge a character by what you’ve been told Harry. Word of mouth is the least useful way to gain information, second only to books, because unlike with people it’s easier to lie through words on paper. That being said many people hide behind masks and you could never truly know a person until they lower them.”_ ** Fulgur had said before sending him off. If that is to be applied here then it could be possible that his father was a bully. Something he loathed to the core. 

“Did I land a blow to your fragile mind Potter? Is it so abhorrent to contemplate the very idea that your father was such a terrible person?” he asked. “Or are you realizing just how alike the two of you are?” Harry glowered at the man. A growl caught in his throat. Regiis wrapped himself a little tighter around his neck. 

“Did I hit a nerve Potter?” the man smirked. Harry took a deep breath, held it, then released. Remember the techniques Fulgur taught you, don’t let him get to you, Harry thought. 

“I don't know what my father did to you sir, but I’ll tell you now, I am  _ nothing _ like him.” he said with finality. Snape bristled and stood up, Harry looked up at him with a gulp, he was glad it was lunch time and he wouldn’t be late for class. 

“Are you so sure Potter? Raised as a spoiled brat as you were, I doubt you could scarcely notice the similarities, but I know for a fact you’ll end up like him.” Harry stilled. Spoiled? Harry was anything but spoiled and it showed if you looked close enough. 

“You are so incredibly wrong it's not even funny.” he said in almost a whisper. Snape scoffed. “I wasn’t spoiled at all.” he glared, speaking despite the sickness rising. 

“Oh due tell Mr. Potter, regale me with the tale of your oh so terrible life. Because whatever you say can and most definitely will be disputed by Dumbledore.” Harry clenched his fist. Here he goes again, that damn headmaster digging his claws into everything. 

“I don't know what  _ that man _ has told you but he is a liar and I  _ detest _ liars.” he growled. “That man sent me to live with Petunia Durlsey and her walrus of a husband Vernon. And let me tell you that they were anything but kind.” Snapes eyebrows rose in interest. “Petunia might be my mother's sister but she is anything but a loving aunt. Sometimes I wish Voldemort had succeeded in killing me as a baby. Then I’d never have to live with  _ them.” _

Snape's eyes narrowed But he didn’t say anything. But Harry could see the disbelief in the man's eyes. He could see how much the man refused to acknowledge him. So he did what Fulgur would have done in that moment. He left.

“Potter! Where do you think you’re going?” he asked after him.

“To blow off some steam so I don't blow up in your face.” Harry ground out. He walked out of the room to see Blaise standing by the door. He nodded and walked away, the italian followed after him like a dutiful guard. So much for giving Snape a sense of closure.

He avoided the professor for the rest of the week, only answering questions when called on, and rushing out the door when class ended. He would give the man no time if he couldn't throw his prejudices aside. 

* * *

  
  


Severus wasn’t sure what to think in all honesty. When he had staged those questions he knew what he was implying. But for Harry to know what it meant came as a shock. For a child raised by muggles, Harry wasn't what he thought he’d be.

He was expecting a naive child with an ego the size of the moon. Not some proper, intelligent, prodigy. It was as if everything Severus had been taught was turned on its head. 

Harry didn’t enjoy his fame, he didn’t pull pranks, nor did he clash with the other Slytherins in the house. At least, that's what he thought. He was more like Lily than he thought capable. Besides those piercing green eyes that seemed to stare directly into his soul, Harry was very much reminiscent of his father, and yet he wasn’t. There was no way the pointed ears, sharp teeth, and sharp nails were from Potter’s genetics. Even if they had a creature inheritance, James would have displayed it, probably flaunted it. 

But no, Harry was much different than his father, and Snape couldn’t quite understand that. How could someone so spoiled be so cold and well mannered? But Harry had implied he wasn't spoiled. That he was left with Petunia, Lilly’s muggle older sister, with her disgusting husband.

He knew Petunia had been jealous of Lilly, that she had slowly come to loathe her younger sister, and soon the magic that she wielded. But she wouldn't have possibly transferred that over to Harry right?

But she would have, he knew it, because he had just done the same thing. He had compared Harry to James despite knowing they were two separate people. He had pushed Harry into an uncomfortable topic. He knew he had, the moment he saw the boy cower, he knew the boy no longer felt safe. But he pushed and Harry had slowly let out his anger, and with it, his magic. 

It was subtle, so much so that Harry hadn’t even realized what he was doing, the shadows had elongated like normal, the twisting tendrils of a strange type of magic reaching out to grasp whatever was disturbing their master. Snape was both horrified and curious to see what would happen should the boy let loose. But he was mildly surprised when the boy had calmly stood up and walked away, the shadows receding alongside him, like an invisible guard. 

He knew then that something was truly wrong. No child should have magic that dark, not even if they were born into it, the worst being a gray at most. That sort of magic didn't come about from just anything, which meant Harry was hiding something, and the implications of such things were something he couldn’t ignore. He himself was a dark magic user, years of abuse from his father tainting his mind, his use of dark magic shifting the alignment fully. 

If Harry had magic this dark already then it begs the question, what was happening at the Dursleys, and why was he placed with magic hating muggles in the first place?

Severus stopped pacing his office and floo’d to the teachers lounge outside the Great Hall. He strode up to the professor's table and leaned over to whisper in the headmaster's ear. Then he grabbed an apple and left the Hall. He passed by Harry and looked at the boy. He had food stuck in his hair and a little on his face, an indent in his plate where his face must have been. A few upper years smirking at the boy and laughing at his expense. 

Snape sneered and stalked away, he would deal with them later, for now he had to speak to an old fool with a god complex. He glided through the halls unperturbed by the ghosts or moving pictures speaking in hushed whispers. Even peeves was oddly quiet.

“I’m here to see the headmaster.” he said to the gargoyle at the headmaster’s entrance. The air around him shifted and Severus watched in fascination as the gargoyle nodded. 

“Finally, someone who can ask instead of throwing stupid words at me, honestly, a statue can only listen to the names of candy being thrown at it for so long.” it said in a whiney voice. Severus smirked and nodded along. The gargoyle moved out of the way and he walked the steps into the office. 

Unsurprisingly, Dumbledore was already there, looking to be tidying things up. The old man stopped what he was doing as the potions master coughed into his fist. A soft grandfatherly smile stretched onto the man's face making Severus cringe internally. He never understood how anyone fell for that facade.

“Ah Severus please have a seat.” the old headmaster said. Snape crossed his arms and raised a brow. These meetings always started the same, and every time, Severus would stay standing. “Lemon drop?” Severus rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“I was given very interesting information earlier this week sir.” he said with barely hidden contempt. Dumbledore looked at him with interest. “I was told that you have placed Potter with his muggle aunt, Petunia.” Dumbledore nodded sagely.

“That is correct Severus, I did in fact send him to live with them, with the intention to let him live a normal life.” he said with a smile. Severus frowned at the old man.

“You do realize that Petunia grew up hating her sister because she had magic. What made you think it was a good idea to p-” He was cut off as dumbledore lifted his hand dismissively. 

“I have been to see them Severus,” he said almost smugly “I have made sure Harry is living a great life. They’ve assured me every time I’ve visited”. Severus wasn't convinced for a second that Petunia just moved on. The woman held a grudge like her life depended on it.

“And did you happen to see Mr. Potter when you visited?” that stopped the old wizard in his tracks. “Things can happen behind closed doors headmaster, I am a testament to that.” he growled. The ever present twinkle in these pale blue eyes dimmed for a moment before coming back full force. 

“I assure you Severus he is fully cared for. But you can always ask Harry himself if you really feel the need to know.” Snape narrowed his eyes at the old man. Did he know something Severus didn’t? Of course he did, he always knew something others didn’t. But this time he won’t leave it alone until he gets answers. 

“It’s nearing the end of lunch, you should get prepared for your next class.” the old man said with a smile. Severus jerked his head in a nod and left the office at a fast pace. He would know what secrets Dumbledore was keeping from him, and then he'd drag his antaginzer down to hell with him.


	8. What's on the schedule? Gaining a new dad apparently

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I saw the scars.” he said softly “I have them too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH GOSH!  
> I am so sorry for not updating on time. Pls forgive my incompetence, I've had a rather rough week. My power went out last Wednesday, i had no power till Thursday evening, and then I had no internet for another 2 days. Then I've had a dry patch for about a month in my willingness to write until recently. So when I started writing more of book 2 I completely forgot to update on the 16th. N I know its been almost 2 weeks but I hope this chapter makes up for it. Its rather long.

**_“Dear Fulgur,_ **

**_This first week has been interesting. I was, at first, welcomed into the Slytherin house by many of the first years. Though they now look at me with contempt. I think I may have messed up somehow._ **

**_You see, the third years and above have been attacking me, not outright, but in a subtle way. I see now that Draco was only trying to help. He offered to report them in my stead but I was too stubborn to accept. I pushed him away and now he refuses to acknowledge me outside of classes._ **

****

**_I don't think I’ve ever had a real friend before. So I hadn’t noticed that I was pushing him away. A boy, Blaise Zabini is his name, is my roommate, we’re not very close, he stays out of my business and I stay out of his. He told me about the Malfoys and their influence in the wizarding world. Why was I not told of this? And how do I apologize to Draco without coming off as rude?_ **

**_I also encountered professor Snape on my second day. He very obviously had it out for me. He asked me questions during his first lesson, the likes of which had a double meaning, as your adamance of teaching me the language of plants has reared its ugly head whenever we talk about potions ingredients. Thanks for that by the way._ **

**_He spo_** **_ke about my father after that lesson. Claimed that I was spoiled rotten, a no good brat, who would end up a bully just like James. I’ve taken to using his first name by the way. I spoke to many of the staff asking after James’ reputation. I was not impressed in all honesty. To think a man like him had ensnared the love of my mother is unthinkable. Yet also plausible as nothing about this world makes sense._**

**_Oh, I hope your trip to the kingdom went well. I know King Oberon was outside the manor the day we left so he would have been watching. But I can’t help but worry for you sometimes. You’re like a brother to me, or maybe a really close uncle, either way you’re family. Anyway It’s late now and I have to be up early tomorrow. Regiis said he wanted to explore the upper floors. I think it would be kind of cool to see the view from the astronomy tower during the day. Oh, and don't tell Lucius about my fallout with Draco please, I want to solve this quietly._ **

**_~Harry Potter-LeFay_ **

**_Heir to the Most Ancient and Prestigious House of LeFay.”_ **

Harry placed his fountain pen down and corked his ink with a sigh of relief. He had been writing, crumpling parchment, and rewriting his letter all afternoon. He had to make sure he didn't put anything pertaining to the Dursleys in the letter. Which was hard because a lot of his encounter with Snape had involved them.

So he was as vague as possible without seeming like he was hiding anything. Snape had been trying to corner him all week after their encounter in his office. He wasn't sure why the potions professor was so interested in him now when before he was against him. What had changed? 

Harry shook his head and opened his suitcase, he called to Venandi who flew out of the case, she landed on his outstretched arm with a soft cooing noise. She was odd, wasn't very loud, and tended to leave well enough alone when he needed space. It was something Regiis couldn’t stand to do. 

She was like the yin to the serpents yang. Calm when he was excited or angry, gentle when he was harsh, and distant where he was affectionate. If Regiis was the doting parent who worried over their child, Venandi was the voice of reason who allowed him space to breath, they were so different and yet they completed each other. And for all that its worth, Harry appreciated them both, even if they loved to tangle his hair. That being said she was picking through his scalp with her beak, like a mother trying to fix their sons messed up hair. 

He walked with her to the owlery and gave her the letter. She nudged his head with her own and jumped off his arm with a mighty flap of her large wings. Harry grunted under the strength and watched as she left the tower. When she came back he would put her back into the case until she was needed again. Not that she minded, the case was made to accommodate her, it had food and other animals she could interact with. 

“Quite a beautiful bird you have there.” a voice spoke from the darkness. Harry turned towards the voice, his magic flaring slightly in alarm. “Apologies, I didn’t mean to spook you.” the voice said again. Harry didn’t see anyone and his hackles rose. He didn’t like not knowing who was there. “What species is she?” they asked.

Harry paused, perhaps this wasn't an enemy, but some ghost he didn't know about. He could play along for now. He put on a thoughtful look before pretending to remember. 

“A bearded vulture.” he said smiling at nothing. He sat down on one of the benches and an owl flew down next to him. He ran a hand through its feathers, pulling out the loose ones, these poor owls were not very well taken care of. He groomed Venandi at least once a week. 

“Truly?” the voice asked. “They are very rare in the wild. Poachers all over the world tried to wipe them out. At least when I was last in the muggle world.” Harry hummed. So this person was either a muggleborn or a halfblood. 

“She was hard to acquire, but as soon as I stepped through the door she had clung to me.” he said fondly, remembering when he had gotten her. “The shopkeep couldn't find anyone who would take her, those that did brought her back because she was unruly, I was the first person she ever warmed up to. Maybe she was waiting for me to come around. She is my familiar after all.”

“Two familiars?” the voice asked in astonishment. “That is exceedingly rare. Not only are you a master to a highly dangerous serpent but also a sought after and endangered species of bird.” Harry narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t told anyone but Quirrell about Regiis’ species. This most definitely didn’t sound like Quirrell. 

“Yes, well it was very nice to speak with you, whoever you may be. But it’s nearly curfew and I need rest or else I may end up hexing the next person who asks me about my scar.” he said, annoyed. The person let out a low chuckle that had Harry shivering in mild fear. He could feel their magic trying to interact with his. He pulled his magic into himself and blocked his core. Their magic prodded at him gently before realising it was getting nowhere and receded. It was dark, darker than most, only matched by Snapes own magic.

“Marvolo.” the voice said. “You can call me Marvolo.” Harry narrowed his eyes. How odd, he feels like he’s heard that name before. But from where? He shrugged and nodded at the emptiness.

“Only if you call me Noctis.” he said in return. As much as he loved his real name he enjoyed being called noctis by Fulgur. The man would sing lullabies in Latin whenever Harry was feeling bad. Or when he was too afraid of the nightmares that would surely come at night. 

“Night?” the voice, Marvolo, seemed to contemplate. “Yes, I see the similarities now. You with your pale skin, bright star like eyes, and dark hair, must be a child of the moon goddess.” Harry’s eyes widened. No one had spoken of his deity before even in passing. And yet here was this hidden man, speaking fondly as if he knew her personally, but it was possible. Many people practiced behind closed doors so it could be that this man also did the same. 

“But your eyes tell another story. Perhaps not the child of the moon but taken under her wing as your real guardian deity is tucked away in hiding.” Harry tilted his head in thought. Marvolo laughed softly “perhaps we shall continue this another time. It is, after all, nearing curfew.” he said smoothly. 

“Of course, have a good night Marvolo.” he stopped himself from saying his typical blessing and shook his head. He had forgotten to write it in the letter. May mother magic bless you and sweet dreams. 

The next day all thoughts of the strange man were forgotten. Draco came rushing into the room with a terrified look on his face. No one trailed after him and Harry knew he didn’t leave alone. He was so out of it that he allowed Harry to guide him to the loveseat to sit.

“Draco? What happened, are you okay?” he asked softly. Draco’s whole body was shaking. He was shaking his head as if he were too afraid to speak. “I need you to talk to me Draco. I can’t help you unless you do.” Draco looked into his eyes and Harry let his magic sooth the other comfortingly. 

“Gryffindors, a bunch of fourth years.” he said shakily. “They chased us into the third floor corridor. I-” he cut himself off as whatever he was thinking about scared him. He was crying, though he seemed adamant to hold back the tears. “We opened up one of the unlocked doors and hid inside.” At this point Snape was standing beside them, blocking them from view as Harry held Draco close to his chest, his magic shielding them from anyone who wanted to listen. 

“There was this  _ thing _ .” he cried. “A three headed dog!” Harry ran a hand through the boy's hair letting him sob quietly. “It attacked Pansy. She’s in the hospital wing as we speak. Daphne is with her. I just-” his face paled and Harry leaned him over the seat as he retched on the floor. Snape cleaned it up with a flick of his wand. 

“There was so much blood Harry, her legs were broken, and she was thrown into a wall!” Draco wailed. Harry looked up at Snape, tilted his head to the door, and motioned for a potion. Snape nodded jerkily and stalked off into the other room. 

“It's okay Draco, she’ll make it through this, trust me.” he said quietly. How could he ask Draco to trust him when he himself hadn't trusted Draco? He frowned when Draco didn't respond. 

“You don't even like her though.” he said through the sniffles. 

“Just because I don't like someone doesn't mean I wish them bodily harm Draco. Plus I don't  _ hate _ her. She just does things that are against my morals.” he said leaning back in the seat. God he was not good at consoling people. “Just, she’ll be fine okay? And if she isn’t, you can get the school in trouble for having a cerberus  _ inside _ campus. You have to have a little faith you know?” he said with a small smile. 

Draco returned the smile with his own small one. Snape appeared once more with a vial in hand. He shoved it in front of Draco who eagerly took it and swallowed it whole. His face scrunched up a little but Harry could feel him relax in his hold.

“Potter, I want you to take Draco to his room, and then I wish to speak to you in my office.” he said sternly. There was no malice in his tone but he knew he wasn’t getting out of this. Harry nodded pulling Draco up as he stood. He walked the recently dosed boy to his room and laid him down on the bed he assumed was Draco’s. 

Once he was sure the boy wouldn't somehow fall off the bed he made his way to Snape's office. He held his breath in anticipation before knocking and opening the door. The office looked more clean than it had been last time. Snape was sitting in his desk chair with a hand pinching the bridge of his nose. The potions professor glanced at him and motioned for him to sit. Harry took the seat warily and stared ahead.

“Ms. Parkinson will make a full recovery.” he said finally. “I spoke to Ms. Greengrass only moments ago and she told me what happened. But she never said what caused it. I wasn't there for the first half of Draco’s explanation.”

“So you want me to fill in the blanks.” he says bluntly, feeling a little less interrogated. 

“Among other things, but yes, I would like the rest of the story.” the professor said picking up his quill and dipping it into the inkpot. Harry contemplated what to say before deciding on the truth.

“He said they were being chased by fourth year Gryffindors. I don't know why, he didn't elaborate, but they chased them into the corridor. So they hid in the nearest unlocked door they could find. And I guess they found a cerberus.” Snape inhaled sharply. 

“The door was unlocked?” he asked suspiciously. Harry nodded and stared at his lap. He could see why Snape was concerned, a door with a creature like that should be locked at all times, so who unlocked it?

I see, thank you Mr. Potter, now we shall move on.” Harry’s head snapped up in confusion. “I’d like to apologize for my rash treatment of you earlier this week. It was wrong of me.”

“It’s no big deal sir. My  _ family _ point out my similarities to James whenever they see me.” Snape’s brows raise at the name drop. “Not that it matters. I’ve never even met the man.” he said with annoyance.

“That’s what I wished to speak to you about Mr. Potter. Your family situation, is it alright? I know Petunia can be rather brutish in her reactions to magic.” Harry flinched making Snape look at him concerned. 

“I would rather not talk about them sir.” he said with queasiness. “I’m fine how I am.” Snape glowered.

“Clearly not if you can't even look me in the eyes as you say it Potter.” Snape drawled “tell me what's wrong and I can help.”

“I can’t sir.” he grit out. His stomach twisting and turning painfully.

“Surely you can, you nearly did it earlier this week.” Snape hissed.

“You don't understand, I cannot say.” 

“Don't lie Potter, tell me now, or is it that you were lying? That you wanted me to feel remorse even though it was undeserved.” he said a little louder. There was obvious anger seeping through the cracks in the man's facade. 

“I can’t say sir.” he said firmly. His chest hurt awfully bad now. 

“YES YOU CAN!” the man yelled back. And like a dam bursting Harry’s anger broke through his own mask. 

“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?!” he screamed “That for most of my life I’ve been living a lie!? That my aunt and uncle told me that my parents were drunks that died in a car crash?” Harry cried “that I was called a freak every day of my life. Forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs and had food taken from me as a punishment?” 

“That the first time I knew I was using magic was because a snake told me. And that snake had been my only friend growing up.” he sobbed. Fat tears rolling down his cheeks, Regiis slid into the room hissing up a storm, trying to console him. 

“I didn’t ask for this, to be born, to be cursed, to be the-boy-who-lived. I just wanted a normal life.” he choked out. Snape’s eyes were wide as saucers. 

“Why didn’t you leave?” he asked softly. 

“Because my magical guardian won’t allow it.” he said. Then he coughed violently, dropping to the floor and hacking, a large pool of blood sprayed from his mouth and onto the floor. The last thing he heard was a panicked Snape calling his name.

* * *

  
  
  


Harry woke up in a dark room, on a bed not his own, covered in white sheets. He looked around blearily as he reached for his glasses. He felt around the side table for a few moments before giving up and staring at the ceiling of the room. Judging by the smell of antiseptic he was probably in the hospital wing.

Something moved in the corner of his eye and he turned to look. The figure was blurry as it sat on the chair across from him. Curse his useless eyes, if only he could see past magic. The figure moved briefly, looking to be reading a book. Harry sighed loudly.

“I see you’re awake.” said the person. 

“Marvolo?” he croaked. That earned a soft laugh from the man making Harry’s face heat up. 

“You’ve been asleep for a while. Three days to be exact, you missed your bird, though I think she found her way back to wherever she needed to be.” Harry nodded absently. So Fulgur had written back, but he had no idea what just transpired, Harry should really let him know. But should he put more pressure on Fulgur? He didn't want to be a bother.

“Whatever you’re contemplating, you should just do it, I mean you’re already in the hospital wing what could go wrong?” Marvolo asked. Harry snorted in response. 

“I would die if I’m not careful. Already almost dead as it is.” Marvolo hummed. Then he stood up and tossed an envelope onto Harry’s blanket. 

“I held onto it in case anyone thought it was a good idea to snoop through your mail.” Harry tensed up and Marvolo chuckled “I didn't look at it. Plus the sealing runes were written in a language I couldn’t understand.” Harry sighed in relief. 

They sat in silence for a little while, enjoying each other's company, at least, it felt like it. Harry hissed in pain as his chest squeezed tightly. A searing hot pain going through his head and down his spine. The pain in his head stopped as Marvolo stood up and walked over. He placed his hand on Harry’s back and Harry jumped in shock as he felt the familiar coolness of healing magic. Though much weaker than Fulgur’s.

The pain in his back subsided and Harry opened his eyes -when had he closed them?- as Marvolo walked back out of focus. Harry yawned, suddenly overtaken by exhaustion, Marvolo huffed. 

“Sleep well Noctis, perhaps another night we will speak again.” he said. Harry smiled softly at the thought.

“Goodnight Marvolo, may Mother Magic bless your dreams tonight.” he didn’t hear the sharp intake of breath or the sudden spike in magic as darkness overtook him once more into sleeps warm embrace. 

Harry woke once more to the sound of harsh whispers and tapping feet. He rubbed his eyes and yawned before reaching for his glasses. His hand found them on the table next to the bed and he frowned. They weren't there last night. Oh well, magic was weird. He saw the letter from before tucked under his pillow just out of sight should any prying eyes see it. 

“I don't understand Poppy, how can he suddenly be better? Damage like that would have taken months to heal, even with the help of potions, he burst a lung Poppy, a  _ lung _ .” that voice sounded familiar. Ah, it must be Snape, he was the only one there to see him go down.

“I understand Severus but the tests all come back negative for damage. At least internally.” she said. Harry coughed suddenly and cringed when the curtain was pulled open. 

“Water?” he croaked out. Poppy nodded and walked off quickly. Snape looked at him with mild concern.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Harry nodded, then frowned, then shrugged. 

“Depends sir. Physically or mentally?” he asked bluntly. Snape deadpanned before cracking a small smile. 

“I would like for both to be positive but I highly doubt years of emotional and physical abuse would make for a mentally stable individual.” he replied honestly. Harry sighed and frowned. 

“I saw the scars.” he said softly “I have them too.” Harry’s head shot up. “ _ My  _ father was a drunk. He used to use my arms to put his cigarettes out.” he pulled up his left sleeve and showed off the multiple burns. Harry ran a finger over them and frowned. He lifted his own shirt and stared at the scar from the poker Vernon had used on him. Snape inhaled sharply. 

“I can’t talk about it.” Harry said with a raspy voice. “My guardian cursed me to never speak or even think of it. To never question it. It hurts so much even when I skirt around the truth. Telling half lies is all I can do for now.” Snape nodded solemnly. Harry thought for a moment before yanking the Letter from under his pillow and showing Snape the name. 

“This man saved my life when I was nine.” he said seriously. “He has been my mentor ever since. He’s the  _ only  _ reason I’m even sitting here today. Otherwise I’d be a charred body as a result of a petroleum explosion.”

“What do you mean?” he asked squinting at the letter.

“Fulgur Argenti LeFay, lord of the family LeFay, saved my life the day my family decided they would rather watch me die.” he ground out. “They left me in a car, flipped over, and slowly catching fire. If not for him I wouldn’t be here.”

“Why didn’t you stay with him?” Snape asked curiously. 

“We tried switching my guardianship over. But someone had already staked claim and made sure it was impossible to change until I turned fifteen. I am not even allowed my heir ring. My family vaults were barred from me, my wizengamot seats taken, and my money monitored. They had even taken some precious family heirlooms” Snape frowned “But we found a loophole in the contract that was written.” 

“I could accept the heirship from another lord, and for a single month of every year, I can stay with the lord of my house in order to learn the etiquette and responsibilities that my title came with.”

“You’re the heir of the LeFay family.” the professor gasped softly. Harry willed for his heir ring to appear and Snape lifted his hand softly to take a closer look. “How?” 

“It turns out my mother was a half-blood.” he said. “From a muggle and a long line for pureblooded squibs who took on a muggle name. The LeFay branch family married into the line and eventually mom was born. The first magical born in decades.” Snape nodded numbly. 

Madame Pomfrey returned not long after with a glass of water and a few food items she thought would benefit him. There were a few potions on the side each dealing with something different. Malnourishment was considered the most important thing they needed to fix.

“It may help with your stunted growth. If all goes according to plan, you’ll spring up in size by the end of the year.” Harry smiled brightly at her and she cooed fondly. She left again to see who was injured next and Harry sighed in relief. He hated putting up that damn mask of his. 

“Can you tell me who your guardian is?” Snape asked suddenly. Harry thought about it before rapidly shaking his head no. A small bit of chest pain making itself known. The professor sighed. “Then I’ll figure it out on my own. But for now I believe you should rest. You’ve missed much school as it is and I’d rather you not be stuck here for longer than you already have.”

Harry smiled softly and nodded. Snape left and Harry looked around to find a calendar. His eyes widened as he looked at the date. He’s been asleep for three weeks!? He leaned back into his pillows and groaned. He has so much to catch up on. He grabbed the letter again and opened it.

**_“Dear Harry,_ **

**_The news of your fallout with Draco saddens me but I have no doubt you can rekindle your budding friendship with the boy. As for not telling you who they were, it honest to the mother, slipped my mind. I’ve known Lucius for years, little Noctis. Sometimes even I forget he is an influential member of our world._ **

**_I’m glad you can get along with your roommate. But also a little upset that you haven’t at least tried to befriend him yet. You’re allowed to be a kid Harry. Take that mask off sometimes and let yourself be happy._ **

**_Rotten luck with Snape there, I don't know how to help you, but I can inform Lucius if he gets to be too much for you. I’m glad my lessons on plant language helped, I told you it comes in handy. Also, you are not your father, no one is a replica of their parents, unless they were somehow a clone but that’s besides the point. Don’t listen to what other people say, Noctis, you are so much better than what they claim, I would know._ **

**_Did I or did I not tell you about the hierarchy system in Slytherin? You need to show dominance Harry. Hiding in your shell is only going to make things worse than better. You’re a LeFay, the LeFay are full of creature blood, show them you aren't someone to be messed with. Even if it means getting your hands a little dirty._ **

**_My trip to the Kingdom went well. Oberon walked with me the whole way, we had a very pleasant discussion about you. Now that you are technically my brother/son/nephew, then that means you are part of the family, you are welcome back anytime. Though I would advise not staying for long trips or else you may lose any resemblance to a human._ **

**_I have told Lucius nothing by the way. We do not speak so often that we tell each other any gossip that comes our way. Though I have gotten a very important letter that makes me want to break things. The goblins have responded to our request to have Ragnok checked over… he was obliviated. Multiple times over. They have requested we come see them during our summer meetup. I have set up a time and date._ **

**_Please stay safe, you are like family to me as well. I would lose myself if I lost you._ **

**_~Fulgur LeFay_ **

**_Lord of the Most Ancient and Prestigious House of LeFay.”_ **

Harry sighed as he set the Letter down. He had to tell him at some point, even if it cost him a lung, or whatever other organ the curse decides to attack. Wait… could it be removed? Is there a way to do that? The thought is plausible, curses and hexes are reversed all the time. So maybe he could get it removed.

Madame Pomfrey smiled as she walked over once more. Though her smile was strained as if she were holding something back. Harry sighed when she placed a food tray on his table. Nothing tastes worse than hospital food. Not even the bland food that the Dursleys forced him to make. 

He grimaced as she stood there and watched him eat. She feigned concern, whether he would be able to eat, she needed to know. Something he thought was ridiculous. Of course he’d be able to eat, he just had to keep it down, for as long as possible. 

Something he failed to do after his third spoon of soup. He retched into the bucket she placed next to the bed. The food he had just eaten came right back up, along with the water, and whatever left over blood needed released. She tutted and pulled the bowl away replacing it with broth.

“No solids at all then. At least for a little while. Three weeks without food has only made your stomach worse. But the nutrient potions will make it easier to digest.” she mumbled, mostly to herself. “One more night in the bed and a full breakfast tomorrow. Then you can leave.” she said pointedly. Harry nodded in relief and watched as she walked away. 

The door to the room opened and Harry watched as Draco spoke to Pomfrey before smiling brightly and walking over to him. Draco looked concerned for a second before snapping his smile back on. Harry waved as the boy sat down in the chair next to the bed. 

“Are you alright?” he asked softly.

“I should be asking you that.” Harry replied. “The last time I saw you, you were doped up on a calming potion, and I had been an arse the whole week previous.” Draco snorted.

“Yeah you were kind of an arse. But I understand why now.” Harry raised a brow “You grew up with horrible muggles. Didn’t have any friends other than your snake. It was stupid to think you would automatically know how to treat friends. Or to differentiate between friend, ally, and enemy. You didn’t know who to trust.” he explained. 

“I’m sorry about that by the way.” Harry sighed. “I pushed you away when you were just trying to help. It’s hard to accept it from anyone. Let alone someone I had barely known for months.” 

“I understand Harry.” Draco said with a small smile. “You were just so trusting with Lord LeFay that I thought maybe that was just how you acted with everyone. I’m a bit mental when it comes to friendship. I sometimes expect things from others even when they can’t give them.” Harry huffed out a laugh and waved him off.

“It’s all good Draco. I’ll try to do better this time. Friends?” he asked, holding out his hand. Draco took it and nodded.

“Friends, also is that blood on your shirt?” he asked, looking at the stained shirt.

“Yeah, it’s just a little bile. Turns out I can’t eat anything solid for a while.” he pouted. Draco rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. 

“You’ve been asleep for a while. Missed broom practice and all. Missed potions as well but I don't think you would’ve liked it much.” he said with pursed lips. “Neville and that weasley exploded their cauldrons every time they even attempted to make anything. Blaise was stuck with the mud- I mean, muggleborn girl from the train.” 

“Ms. Granger?” Draco nodded “oh good, I wanted to meet up with her eventually, now Blaise can make sure I do.” he smiled at the shocked expression on the boy's face. “Oh wait, I’m so far behind on classes, how am I supposed to jump back in?”

“I think I have a solution Mr. Potter.” A voice said as the curtain was yanked open again. Snape held a stack of parchment. Not very large but still a significant amount. “This is a test I’d like you to take. The other professors and I came together to discuss how to reintegrate you. But we all found something that needed to be addressed.” 

“And what would that be sir?” he asked nervously. Snape smiled as he tossed the stack onto the bed.

“You know more than the rest of our students Mr. Potter. You answer every question right, but not only that, you add on to those answers. You give examples that haven’t even been taught yet.” there was a gleam in his eyes that had Harry shaking. “I want to see how much you know. So you will take this test, and we will adjust your classes to match your needs.” 

“Oh.” Harry stared at the stack before picking it up and placing it on the bed tray. “And if I happen to be years ahead of my peers?” he asks.

“Then we will give you new classes if you finish them early.” Harry nodded and grabbed the familiar fountain pen from Snape's hand. “By the way Potter. Should you wish for this to be kept a secret, then you only need to ask, I will make sure it doesn't get out to the wrong ears.” 

“Of course sir, thank you very much.” he said with a strained smile. Snape nodded and looked to Draco.

“Come Draco, Harry needs to concentrate. I’ll be back by sundown to collect the test.” he said dragging the protesting blonde from the room. Harry smiled fondly and started going through the parchment. One by one he answered every question to the best of his ability. Even the herbology test was given as much focus as he could manage.

Then came the paper at the end of the stack. He looked at it expecting more questions but all he got was a written note. 

**_“In three days you will receive a two day practical exam. The class order of this exam is as follows._ **

**_Day 1:_ **

  * **_Charms_**


  * Transfiguration


  * Herbology



**_Day 2:_ **

  * **_Potions_**


  * Defence Against the Dark Arts


  * Flying



**_Rest and eat as much as you can. Afterwards your results will tallied up and you will receive your new class list._ **

**_Best regards,_ **

**_Professor Severus Snape.”_ **

Harry looked at the note and set the tests down. He knew he got most of the questions right. Fulgur’s teaching had drilled all of the answers into his head. Fear was an awfully good motivator. Even in the smallest amounts. 

Fulgur would never harm a child. Even when Harry had his hand slapped by the ruler it had never hurt. But the sound it made when slapped against a table or chair would make him pay attention. The thought of getting hit that hard was always in the back of his mind while Fulgur taught. And no matter how many times Fulgur would assure him, that he wouldn’t hit that hard no matter what, it was a thought that stuck around. Because pain was something Harry grew up with. It was expected. 

Yet Fulgur earned Harry’s complete trust. All because he kept his promise. Not once had Harry ever felt pain in the LeFay manor. It didn’t matter if he was in trouble or not. Fulgur never laid a hand on him. To this day, Harry would say in full confidence, Fulgur is the one person he can truly trust. Not including his familiars of course.

Harry looked up as the door swung open to reveal snape. He walked in with a stuttering professor Quirrell. Harry rolled his eyes at the man and leaned back in the bed. Quirrell went quiet as Snape grabbed the stack of tests from the tray. He looked through the parchment one by one. Making sure all the questions were answered.

“Very good Potter, in three days time you will begin your practicals, did you think about what I said earlier?” he asked. Harry nodded and closed his eyes. Snape leaned in close so Harry could whisper it.

“I want only yourself and Flitwick to know.” he said calmly. 

“Flitwick? Why on earth would you want him to know?” 

“He’s half goblin is he not?” he asked, looking at Snape who nodded. “He’s neutral in all this. He won’t take sides, even if  _ he _ finds out, I can trust him more than the others. Plus he knew my mother well. She was, after all, training for her mastery under him.” 

“I see, then I’ll leave you to rest. Have a good night Potter. And don't  _ ever  _ speak of our interactions to anyone, got it? I have a reputation to uphold.” he said with a sneer. Harry snorted and saluted him. The potions professor rolled his eyes and went back to the sniveling professor Quirrell. They walked away from Harry but not before Harry caught Quirrell's eyes and hissed. The man shrunk on himself and sped out the door.

* * *

  
  
  


That night he was once again joined by Marvolo. Which was actually quite interesting as the man stayed continuously blurry the entire time. Even with his runed glasses on. Must have his own disillusion charms on, otherwise his glasses would have filtered through the magic. He hummed in acknowledgment and continued writing his letter to Fulgur.

“Not talkative tonight are you Noctis?” the blurred man asked. 

“I have a lot on my mind, Marvolo.” he said, striking through an entire paragraph before burning the parchment just to grab another and continue writing. “I nearly died this month. Plus I have to begin studying even harder if my head of house actually allows me to move ahead in my classes.” he mumbled out. Marvolo stayed quiet for a moment.

“I did hear about that,” he said slowly. Harry’s head whipped over to him with a coldness in his eyes. “You are not nearly as sneaky as you seem to think. Quirrell was there when Snape spoke to you, was he not?” Harry hissed in irritation. 

“I didn’t think he would be stupid enough to tell anyone. But I suppose my expectations of him are higher than they should be.” a feeling of curiosity not his own washed over him and he eyed the man. He knew he was an empath but this was the first time he’d actually connected to someone enough to feel their emotions. How odd. 

“Why, pray tell, do you say that?” he asked.

“The curse on the position he is in. It’s no secret that the teachers never last more than a year. Always ending up mysteriously disappearing, quitting, sometimes inexplicably dying.” Harry returned to his letter with a frown. 

“You are oddly calm tonight.” Marvolo stated. “I wonder why that is when you were panicked before.” Harry tilted his head and thought about it. 

He struggled with emotions ever since returning to the Durlseys. Unable to feel many emotions unless extreme. He felt dull, empty, as if he has no emotions at all. But he knew he had them. Confusion was one he felt many times throughout the day. Fear more than anything. Anger was an odd balance though. Sometimes he was easy to anger, other times he wouldn’t feel a thing, until it all built up and he exploded. 

“I suppose my sense of panic outweighed anything else I may have felt. Not that there’s much to feel in the first place.” the door creaked open and Harry’s eyes glanced over to it. Marvolo tensed as Regiis slid into the room. He was larger than he typically was when Harry carried him. Probably so he could reach up and open the door. 

The serpent didn't even blink twice as he passed by Marvolo. He slipped onto the bed next to Harry and placed a tentative boop against the boy’s forehead. Harry smiled a little and scratched the large serpent under the chin. 

_ “Hello Regiis” _ he hissed out softly, patting his legs in an invitation.  _ “How was your exploration?”  _ Regiis eyed Marvolo for a moment before curling around Harry and laying his head down on the offered lap.

_ “The hallways are awfully boring. Though there was a rabbit that I chased that led me outside. The woods are filled with magic Harry! Similar yet so different from your own. There are many dark creatures lying in wait.”  _

_ “How interesting, perhaps you could show me some time, though we were told not to go out there. It’s supposed to be rather dangerous.”  _ Regiis laughed at that and shook his head in a very human gesture.

_ “Dangerous? Nothing in there would dare do you any harm. I would kill everything there within a heartbeat. But of course, you wish not to kill, as you’ve said before.”  _ he said cheekily. Harry rolled his eyes and pushed the serpent playfully. 

_ “Enough banter we have a guest. One who I find rather interesting.”  _ Marvolo tensed up as he said that and Harry looked at him once more.  _ “And it is rude to keep guests waiting. Fulgur would be so disappointed if I neglected him any longer.”  _

_ “Yes Harry, that is very true. Though I suggest you reapply your masks once more. You’ve been slipping recently and I would rather not explain to him why you are being targeted by the old man already.” _

_ “Ah what would I do without you Regiis?” _

_ “Probably die.” _ he said bluntly, making Harry snort loudly and choke on his laughter. 

“Begone you menace.” he says, pushing the serpent off the bed. “Don't look at me like that, you know exactly what I’m saying.” Regiis puffed up and stuck his tongue out before slithering out the door once more.

“What an odd snake you have there. Much larger than normal if my eyes are not deceiving me.” Harry smiled fondly and nodded.

“He’s much larger than that. Very old as well, but completely childish, I find it hard to control him sometimes.” 

“You do not fear he may one day send you to your death? He is a very dangerous breed of serpent.” Harry bristled and glared at the man, his anger welling up quicker than ever. 

“I do not doubt my familiar Marvolo.” he hissed. “Do not presume that our bond could be so weak as to let him hurt me.” 

“I did not imply that  _ he _ would harm you. But rather lead you  _ to harm. _ ” he hastily replied. “You said it yourself, he can be uncontrollable, what is stopping him from bringing you to your untimely demise?” Harry frowned and put up a blank mask. “Doesn't the thought scare you even a little?” 

“Of course it does. But not because of the reasons you might think. Nor will I tell you those reasons so don't bother asking.” Marvolo had brought up a great point. But the idea that Regiis hurting him, or leading him to danger was something he knew wouldn’t happen, not intentionally at least. He did not fear danger for himself, but the idea of losing Regiis, his best friend, his brother, it hurt to think about. 

“I would like to finish my letter now.” he stated icily. “I cannot do so with distractions.” He sensed a feeling of irritation from the man before it was overrun by reluctant acceptance. 

“Of course, Have a good night Noctis, we shall meet again another time.” Harry nodded jerkily and watched him leave. The door closed quietly and Harry growled in annoyance. It shouldn't be so easy for the man to rile him up like that. Not only was his emotions cursed but Fulgur had taught him not to let others mess with his head. 

He quickly wrote the last of his letter and stared at it. He knew he was leaving out important details but he couldn’t risk missing more school by writing out everything. He’d missed so much already and he wasn't about to miss more. 

**_“Dear Fulgur,_ **

**_I have some good news and bad news. But also more good news afterwards. I will start with the good news. Draco and I have made up, after a very frightening incident that has probably left him scarred, we both realized how we have treated each other. So we have remedied our relationship and moved on. Though I fear I may mess up again. I am not entirely sure how to be a friend to others but I will try my hardest._ **

**_In other news I realize I have not replied nor written a single letter to you in three weeks. For that I apologize sincerely. Something happened to me that I am unable to speak of at the moment. It physically pains me to even think about it let alone speak. I believe I have been cursed by someone. I will not name my suspicions but I believe you already have an idea. Until this curse is removed I cannot speak about it. I hope the goblins may be able to help us._ **

**_Onto more pleasant news, I am being moved up in my classes, at least, the ones I am able to understand. When I awoke after my three week coma, Snape came to me and offered for me to take a test. Should I pass both the written test and practicals then I will be given the option of electives early. I hadn't meant for them to find out how far ahead I was, but I suppose it was unavoidable._ **

**_The headmaster has no clue about this. He knows I am in the hospital wing but not why, nor does he realize how knowledgeable I really am, I will continue to study in my own time as well. My magic feels antsy for some reason. As if it's crawling under my skin, the shadows keep reaching for me, I think I need to release it at some point._ **

**_How are you by the way? Three weeks is a long time and I doubt you sat around and did nothing. Also I know your birthday is coming up soon, I’m getting you a gift, you can't stop me. Also make sure to water the amaryllis. They require a gentle touch and I’m not having them die after you taught me how to care for them._ **

**_May mother magic bless you,_ **

**_Harry Potter-LeFay_ **

**_Heir to the Most Ancient and Prestigious House of LeFay.”_ **


	9. He's just super smart you know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I did it again, I forgot to update on time again. Smh my head

Over the next three days Harry acted as if everything was fine. He attended his regular classes, was treated as if he were behind the rest of his peers, and given notes by Hermoine who sat next to him instead of the other gryffindors. Pansy had sneered at that but Harry glared back in defiance.

This happened every time he went to a different class. The teachers thought he had absolutely no knowledge of what they were teaching him. So he was given pitying looks by everyone but Draco, Snape, and Professor Flitwick. It was something he appreciated from them. He hated being looked down on unless he himself wanted it to happen. 

He sent the letter to Fulgur, not knowing when he’d get one back. It could take days, or weeks, even a month at times. Or it could be as fast as two minutes. The idea that Fulgur would be disappointed in him for not saying anything sooner scared him. Fulgur was the first person to not turn his back on Harry. That it would be torture to know he displeased the lord of his house. 

Harry was making his way up the stairs to study in the library when he came face to face with Hermoine. Who also happened to be crying a lot. Suddenly he was enveloped in a tight hug as she clung onto him. He blinked a few times in shock before slowly lowering his arms around the girl and patting her back awkwardly. How do you even handle something like this?

Harry guided her over to a bench and sat her down gently. He was hoping to get some studying done before his practicals but apparently that wouldn't be happening. He pried her off slowly and straightened himself out. She looked at him and wiped her eyes. 

“I'm sorry Harry, I just, you were the only person I could go to.” Harry nodded slowly. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond, he barely even knew her, and yet she came to him in such a state.

“What happened?” he asked calmly. 

“You know how I’ve been shunned by everyone in my house right?” Harry didn’t know but he nodded along anyways. “Well today I overheard Ron talking about it. He said I was bossy, a know it all, and that I’d never have friends.” she pouted. Harry blinked before it finally dawned on him. She was asking for advice, not outright, but the request was there. 

“The way I see it,” he began, “you are very passionate about magic and the knowledge you can achieve in learning.” Hermoine nodded along “but others don't see it that way.” she frowned in confusion. “It is great that you feel the need to prove yourself. That you belong in this world. But it comes off as inconsiderate and rude to others.” 

“How does that make sense? It's not like I'm telling them I’m better.” she replied.

“To you it doesn't seem like it but for them it does.” at her confused stare he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Look at it this way, say I was you, and you were a student that knew the answer to a question.” Hermione nodded along “the teachers asked the question, so what would you do?”

“I would raise my hand because I knew the answer.” she replied immediately. 

“Yes, now imagine me, as yourself, waving your hand around to get the teachers attention.” he says with his hand up high and wiggling it around. She giggled at it and Harry rolled his eyes to hide his amusement. “That diverts attention to me, who has answered every question before, not allowing anyone else the chance to do so. Then I would turn to the class and smile and act as if I was the only one who knew the answer. How would you feel?” she tilted her head and hummed in thought.

“I supposed I’d be a bit annoyed. Especially if no one else was given a chance to answer before.” a look of realization crossed her face and twisted to horror. “Have I been doing that the entire time? Not giving anyone else a chance to show what they know?” Harry nodded and grabbed her hands softly.

“I myself do not mind, I’m proud that you take education seriously, but I can understand how others would be put off by your actions. Speaking of taking education seriously, you have a habit of telling people when they’re wrong, or telling them off for slacking. Sometimes people know they’re doing something wrong, and when they’re told so in a blunt and insensitive manner, it gets them upset, at both themselves and you.” 

“But I'm only trying to help.” she mumbled.

“That may be, but from their perspective it seems like you’re patronizing them. So instead of saying ‘Hey you're doing it all wrong’ try to instead ask if they need help. It's easier to accept help from someone who offered than someone who forced it onto you.” she blinked a couple times before nodding with a sigh.

“I've been a bit dense haven’t I?” she asked. “I can’t believe I didn't notice how rude I was. What should I do? I can’t even try to make up for it with my house.” 

“Tone it down a little. Try to hold back when in class or in the common room. If you let them see that you’re just like them, then they’ll come around eventually, and they’ll see that you aren't so different. If they continue to treat you as an outcast then I invite you to join me in the library to study anytime.” at that she perked up and smiled.

“I'd like that a lot. Thank you Harry.” Harry nodded and accepted her hug as she held her arms open wide. “I should probably head back to the common room now. I ran out when Ron said that.” 

Harry nodded and watched her leave. He cast a quick tempus and cursed as he had five minutes to get to the testing room. He walked in a fast pace to the dungeons and into a small room not far from the potions class. The door creaked open and he peered inside to see Flitwick and Snape talking to a couple people he had never seen before. 

He stepped inside quietly and closed the door. They were whispering rapidly and Harry could hear small snippets of words like “clone.” and “Self-study” he tilted his head when no one noticed him. Then he cleared his throat loudly. The group jumped slightly and turned towards him. He stared at one man who seemed familiar to him. He was tall, with sandy brown hair, and dull green eyes. Much duller than his own glowing ones. He seemed sickly as well and he could feel dark magic pulsing from him in waves despite the light affinity to his core. A dark creature then, if his book were to be believed, though he could be wrong.

“Ah Mr. Potter, I almost expected you to be late, but it seems that you do understand the concept of time.” Snape said with a hint of annoyance. 

“I wouldn’t miss this for the life of me, professor. Unless you’d rather I continue to attend your first year potions class.” he said back cheekily. Regiis slid his head out from his sleeve and Harry patted the serpent on the head. Some of the people went pale at the snake, which made him feel slightly giddy, he pushed that feeling down into the nothingness it came from and smiled innocently. 

“As much as I enjoy watching you answer all of my questions right, it is unfair to the other dunderheads in my class, now come introduce yourself.” he said, fighting a small smirk from forming. “Aside from myself and Flitwick, these will be your proctors, and possibly if you pass, your future professors.” Flitwick spoke up and Harry looked at the man with a smile.

“From left to right, for transfiguration you have Perry Hemlock, for herbology Dora Dovetale, for defense is Remus Lupin, and for flying is Ember Lacework.” Harry shook each of their hands with a warm smile. “Of course if you pass the flying practical then Ember may return back to her quidditch team and you will not need to attend those classes.” Harry nods and sees Ember smile brightly. 

“Today you have Charms, Transfiguration, and Herbology. You will have an hour with each teacher to display your knowledge and skills, should you fail you will stay in the first year classes, should you achieve higher than what is expected, we might help you along to a full mastery.” Snape said. Harry nodded and watched as Snape guided Lupin and Lacework out of the room and closed the door. He felt a spell placed on it and wondered if it was a locking charm. 

“Charms first then Mr. Potter.” Flitwick said excitedly and he walked to the center of the room. A few things happened at once. Items he’d seen in Flitwick's class appeared around him and a note materialized in his hand. On the note was a list of each charm or jinx he was required to do.

**_“Year one:_ **

  * **_Levitation_**


  * Wand lighting


  * Wand extinguish 


  * Fire making


  * Softening


  * Unlocking


  * Locking


  * Mending


  * Severing


  * Knockback



**_Extra credit if you can make a pineapple dance.”_ **

Harry put down the note and did each charm in order. Even going as far as to open the door when he unlocked it and peeking out to wave at Snape. The man glowered and made to close the door only for Harry to quickly close it and lock it again. Flitwick snickered and gave him a playful nudge for that. 

That seemed to be the theme for both charms and transfiguration. He was given a list, items to cast on, and an extra credit assignment. Herbology was a bit different though. He stared at each plant that was thrown in front of him and gave a definition, then he was tasked with potting, repotting, watering, and feeding them. Then he was told to harvest each of the plants, any injuries would deduct points, and harm to the plants would give him an automatic fail. Mrs. Dovetale was definitely not fooling around with her plants. 

At the end of it he came out with a few scratches and a burning thorn in his hand but all of the plants were in perfect condition. Dovetale smiled softly and nodded. She healed his scratches before carefully plucking the thorn out and putting a cotton pad of some liquid over it. The burning from the thorn stopped completely and he thanked her. Snape unlocked the door at the three hour mark and let them out. Harry was sent away so they could discuss.

He was walking to dinner when he felt something walking behind him. He turned to see Peeves with an ink bottle in his hand. Harry blinked at the poltergeist and sighed he hadn’t been a victim of the pranking Peeves had done but he wasn’t about to let him try it either. 

“Peeves if you get ink on me I will banish you from hogwarts.” he said seriously. He looked around to find no one in the halls, dinner started four minutes ago, so there shouldn’t be. The paintings were all empty aside from one that wasn't animated and Harry felt relief.

“Oh Potty thinks he’s so scary!” Peeves said, cackling at the unimpressed look on Harry’s face.

“I’m serious Peeves, leave me alone.” he growled. He turned and started walking away. He felt when the poltergeist began to move and willed his cloak over himself. The shadows in the hall grabbed Peeves by the arms and held him down as Harry turned back towards him and glared. “I said to  leave. Me. Alone. ” he ground out. 

Peeves gulped and nodded frantically dropping the ink well to the floor. It spilled out into the cracks and crevices in an abyssal black. The shadows reached out from it and caressed Harry who leaned into them with a bewitching smile. He let Peeves go and watched as the geist flew away quickly. He dispelled the cloak and shadows so he could continue his walk.

Speaking the shadow language was exhilarating at times. He hated the idea of controlling something with an active conscience but he would use it to his advantage if he needed to. And there was no way he would let Peeves think he was allowed to prank him. For the first time in the last three days he felt calm. His magic only barely moved under his skin, sending him waves of intense happiness, and said happiness continued to lift his mood as he asked Draco for a shopping catalogue. 

“And why do you need one of those?” the blonde asked curiously. Harry leaned in and whispered.

“Fulgur’s birthday is coming up and I want to get him a gift.” Draco’s eyes widened.

“Lord LeFay’s birthday?” he whisper yelled. Harry glared and hushed him. 

“Yes, now can I borrow one or not?” Draco nodded and smiled. Harry returned the smile and bit into a piece of beef. He frowned as it had little to no flavor. He should really get into contact with whoever cooks here. He grabbed a piece and some bread as an offering and felt it disappear in his hand with a smile. He was so glad his goddess wasn’t angry for his absence of offerings. Though he suspected she knew he was in the hospital. 

A feeling of being watched caught his attention and he looked up to see the twins staring at him. Had they seen what he had just done? Would they tell anyone? He watched as they motioned for him to talk and he nodded before pointing to his food in question. They nodded and he sighed as he continued to eat the bland food.

The others were giving him mixed looks. Pansy was sneering, Theo was curious, and Blaise was indifferent. He rolled his eyes and finished his meal. Dessert popped up and he scowled at the offending sweets that were put out that night. It was all pure sugar, and while he enjoyed sweets, he hated things that were nothing but sweet. Treacle tarts were borderline pure sweetness but they at least had cream and a biscuit crust to balance it out.

He shoved the offending food away and waited for the food to vanish. Then he carefully avoided the rest of the Slytherins in order to talk to the twins. Draco looked concerned but Harry smiled and assured him he’d be okay. Draco was dragged away by an irate Pansy and a gentle Daphne who waved. Blaise stayed behind and waited for Harry. 

Harry put up a muffling charm and looked at the two redheads in anticipation. They looked at each other as if conversong amongst themselves in a silent conversation. Which is quite believable as he and Regiis do so all the time. Finally they nodded and looked at Harry with barely contained excitement.

“How did you do it?” one asked. Harry titled his head in confusion. 

“What you did to Peeves earlier. With the weird shadows!” the other said. Harry paled and backed up. 

“Can you teach us?” they asked together. Harry shook his head frantically. He looked around spotting Blaise who seemed to tense at his gaze. 

“No,” he said “no you aren't even supposed to know, you can’t know. I was forbidden from telling anyone.” he said frantically. “You, you can’t tell  _ anyone _ about it. Do you understand?” he said seriously. His body was tensed up, ready to run or fight he wasn't sure, but his worry filled his body with an intense fear. 

“Why not?” 

“It would help so much-”

“To get Peeves of our back so-”

“We can continue to-”

“Prank others.”

“No you don't understand,” he said desperately “it’s extremely dark magic. It can't be taught unless you were blessed with it.” the two of them looked at each other with worried expressions. 

“Is it even safe for you to use it?” they asked together.

“Yes, yes absolutely. I was blessed with it at a young age, it has no negative effects on me, I… wait.” he paused and stared at them incredulously. “Why aren't you freaking out about it being dark?” he asked. They stared at each other before shrugging.

“In all honesty we don't really care.”

“Magic is magic no matter where it comes from.”

“Or what affinity it is.”

“Sure our parents would probably be appalled by our thought process, we could even be ostracized by society if it got out, but…” the one speaking paused.

“We honestly don't care. Sometimes we ask some of the older Slytherins for some dark arts books. We may not agree with them on their blood supremacy, but their knowledge of the olde ways, and dark magic is useful.” the other responded. 

“Are the rest of your siblings the same?” he asked. They seemed to think before shaking their heads.

“Not all of them. Our oldest brothers, Bill and Charlie, agree with us wholeheartedly, but the others are all about light magic.” 

“Yeah, during the first war, mum got it in her head that dark magic is evil and shouldn’t exist. Yet we used to celebrate the olde holidays. Now it’s all been replaced with muggle holidays.” 

“Yule was replaced with Christmas.”

“Ostara replaced by Easter.”

“Samhain turned into Halloween.” 

“We used to celebrate all of them, along with the Prewett’s, they were mum’s family. Then our uncles died in the war and mom swore off anything deemed as dark. Which included almost everything pureblooded. It’s why we’re seen as blood traitors despite being pureblood ourselves.” The two brothers stared at each other with a grimace.

“I thought it was because you were so called muggle sympathisers.” Harry said with a thoughtful look.

“Well that too, our dad has a strange obsession with everything muggle, to the point we sometimes find him trying to use their items in everyday life.” Harry snorted, making the other two boys smile. 

Harry cast a tempus and frowned, he had to be to bed early if he wanted enough energy for the next practical. He looked at the twins, feeling less trapped, and more of a connection to them. Could he trust them though? He could only hope.

“The magic you saw was called shadowcasting.” he began, gaining the others attention. “It’s a form of dark magic similar to necromancy. But while necromancers can raise the dead Shadowcasters cannot. We can control the dead yes, but we can’t bring them back from death. We were meant to be like mini grim reapers in a way. We can send people to the afterlife in a split second if we choose to. No pain, no horrible soul sucking, just instant death.”

“That's terrifying.” one said. 

“But absolutely brilliant.” Harry startled at the second one.

“It’s a gift honestly. To be able to send someone to the afterlife like that. You could help so many people cross over easier. Our grandfather had a horrible condition, made him constantly in pain, by the time he died he could barely move without something hurting. A lot of us wished we could help him pass over peacefully.” 

Harry nodded solemnly. He’d never seen it that way, he always thought it was something to fear, the ability to cause death instantly like that. But in a sense they were right. If he had the option to either put someone out of their misery painlessly or let them suffer till their death, he’d rather they move on faster. 

“I see, and you won’t tell anyone about this?” he asked, they shook their heads in confirmation. “Good, I’m holding you to that, after all, you said you owed me on the train.” he smiled as they blinked in shock before a look of recognition passed over them. 

“A true Slytherin through and through.”

“And here we thought you were secretly a Ravenclaw with all the books you read.” 

“Oh whatever you two, you got your info now shoo, I need my sleep tonight and I’m not waking up exhausted tomorrow because you two decided to chat my head off all night.” Harry said with a smile. The twins laughed lightly and waved goodbye as they ran off. Blaise walked over with a raised brow.

“I thought they were going to hex you at some point.” he said “you looked afraid for a second.”

“Nah it was just a misunderstanding. They’re really well meaning just a bit over excited sometimes.” Blaise didn't look convinced but shrugged anyway as he walked back to the common room. 

* * *

  
  
  


The next day was filled with anxiety. He went through his daily routine before skirting away from his friends to sneak down to the dungeons. He walked back to the classroom from before and stepped inside. He was surprised to find a nearly empty room. Then suddenly things Started appearing at random. 

On the walls of the room a few pieces of parchment were hanging up. Underneath each one was a table, a cauldron, and varying ingredients. So he was starting with Potions then. He smiled deviously as he looked at the time. The test had already begun.

He walked up to the first parchment and looked at it.  **_“When I am consumed the drinker becomes that which is abundant in the autumn. Should they be mistaken as something else their head might be carved.”_ ** Harry snorted and smiled at the note. Pompion potion turns the drinker's head into a pumpkin, something that made Harry laugh, he felt bad for whoever discovered the unwelcome side effects.

Harry lit the already filled cauldron and got to work. He crushed the Flitterby Moth into a pulp and added it to the cauldron, then stirred the mixture clockwise until it turned green. Next, the Bouncing Bulb was ground with a mortar and added to the cauldron. The mixture was to be stirred counterclockwise until it turned red before slicing the foxglove and, too, added to the mixture. Stirring clockwise until it turns orange, Harry looks around the room, identifying the different potions. 

He was to make all the first year potions, three second year potions, and a few third year ones. It seemed the test had influenced Snapes choices in what he would be brewing. The potion turned orange and he immediately turned off the flame. He scooped up his potion and poured it into a vial for the potion master to collect. 

This went on for the next three hours, tackling potion after potion, substituting ingredients for others when he didn’t have enough of the right kind, even adding new ingredients to improve some of them. He wrote down notes on each potion and how or why he chose to change it. Then as he finished the last potion, sweating from the heat, and the running around, the door opened. He corked the last of the potion and set it down on the table. 

Snape looked around the room, seemingly impressed at how clean it was, not a single thing out of place. The professor walked in and gathered each potion into a neat satchel with small pockets. Then he cleared the room with a wave of his wand.

“Had it not been for the intense heat of the room, and the soft sound of bubbling cauldrons, I would have suspected you hadn't even attempted to touch anything.” the professor drawled. he seemed almost impressed. 

“I try to keep my area as clean as possible. Ingredients are kept as far from the cauldron as I can get them. It makes the mess easier to clean and reduces risk of grabbing the wrong ingredient.” Snape hummed and nodded curtly. 

“Come, the others are waiting outside, we shouldn’t make them wait.” he said, turning on his heel and walking out of the room. Harry followed him outside and looked around in confusion. Nothing was there, except maybe the forest, but he wouldn't take him out there would he? “You didn't think we wouldn’t take precautions did you? We’re trying to keep this a secret, so don't be surprised that we’ve hidden your testing area.” 

Snape pushed him forward and Harry stumbled. The world seemed to swirl for a moment before righting itself. He looked around and stared as a large obstacle course came into view. The sandy haired man from before waved them over with a smile. He looked less like death had warmed over now. 

“Hello Harry, Snape, glad to see you’re in one piece.” he commented cheekily. Snape rolled his eyes as Harry narrowed his. 

“I may be young but it is rude to doubt my skills when you have never even met me.” he said icily. The man looked spooked for a moment before nodding slowly. 

“Apologies, I shouldn't have said that, it was uncalled for.” Harry’s face softened before he smiled. The man looked at Snape questioningly who made a gesture that his lips were sealed. “Right, anyways, I’m the proctor for defense against the dark arts. Behind me is a large obstacle course filled with dark creatures. Your job is to get to the end and either avoid the creatures to the best of your ability, or you can use whatever spells you can think of to immobilise them, try not to kill them if you can but if you must then do so sparingly. I will be watching and will jump in if anything goes wrong.” 

Harry nodded along and felt around with his magic. It brushed against something in the course and Harry felt the shadows swell underneath. He looked at the professor with a worried glance.

“Are there dementors in this course?” he asked with a slight frown. 

“There are a few but they are only meant to be avoided. You need not worry about using a spell to rid them of the area. The patronus charm is already hard to cast by most so I don't expect you to know how.” Harry nodded absently and walked over to the course. “You can begin whenever you want.” he said with a smile. Harry jerked his head and ran inside. 

Harry ran and jumped over whatever blocked his path. Dodging imps who attempted to trip him, stunned pixies who tried to yank his hair, And yanked free from grindylows who tried to pull him down as he swam across the small transfigured pond. It was after those that he encountered his first dangerous creature. 

The area was dark, darker than normal, then a wispy white dog appeared. Gytrashes were a type of undead dog that feasted on human flesh. They were quick and strong, but they had one very glaring weakness, they were afraid of wand light. Harry cast a bright lumos and the Gytrash whimpered before running off. 

Harry climbed the rock wall in front of him and found himself once again running through different smaller creatures. This included redcaps, snakes, and a surprisingly large number of Erklings. For the Erklings he used the pullus jinx and watched with amusement as a flock of chickens ran around. Obviously he told the snakes to leave him alone. And finally he flung a Red Cap so far the others chose to back away when he growled at them. 

The next large creature was something he hated with intensity. Boggarts were something he never wanted to encounter. Coming to terms with his fears was something he loathed to think about. He knew his fears were irrational, that they would never happen, but it still hurt. It hurt to see Fulgur standing in front of him with a sneer on his face. 

“You were a mistake.” the boggart said. “I should have never saved your life. You cause me nothing but grief and I’m sick of it. You lie to me, take my kindness for granted, and use me to make your life easier. I should have left you in that car to die.” Harry glared, fury overtaking his shock and fear. 

He hated boggarts to no end, not because they showed his true fears, but because they twisted the words of those closest to you. Fulgur would never say that. He knew the fae wouldn't, the man could never leave a child behind, even if he knew they would cause nothing but trouble

“Riddikulus!” he yelled. He watched as Fulgur transformed into his bird self and waddled around as if he were still human. Harry snorted as the boggart screeched as it realised it was now a bird. It flew away to a dark area and vanished. 

He moved on slowly and felt around with his magic. The dementors hadn’t noticed him yet, he hoped they wouldn't at all, he didn't want to use his cloak to scare them away yet. He turned the corner only to curse as he came face to face with two of the three creatures he didn’t want to meet. The hag and vampire stopped talking and looked at him. He gave an awkward smile and waved. 

Then they jumped into action and Harry ran for his life. He jumped over rocks, branches and holes in the ground. All the while tossing objects in the way of the other two. A particularly nasty rock hit the hag in the face and knocked her unconscious. The vampire on the other hand seemed excited to hunt alone. Harry gulped and ducked behind a large tree. He could hear the vampire walking around but his vision was obscured. He took gasping breaths that he tried to stifle in his sleeve looking around for any danger. 

Then he whirled around as something tapped on his shoulder. He quickly cast a severing charm and watched as a shallow cut dug into the Vampires neck, just barely missing the windpipe. His eyes widened and he reached out to the vampire.

“Oh my goddess are you hurt? I didn’t mean to get your neck. Oh please tell me I didn't damage you somehow.” that vampire’s face contorted into one of confusion.

“I- why do you care?” they asked. Now that Harry got a good look. The Vampire was tall, rather slim, and very pale. They had long black hair that curled loosely, blue eyes that stood out as if glowing, and was dressed in a loose fitting shirt and jeans. 

“Are you capable of thought?” he asked. The vampire nodded numbly “do you consider yourself a person rather than a creature as the ministry claims?” they nodded again. “Then you are a person and I don't hurt people just because I’m afraid of them. This is meant to be a test not a life or death situation.” 

“Oh…” 

“You can take a cup and no more.” Harry sighed. He used his wand to carve a cut into his arm and transfigured a rock into a cup. He let the blood drip into the cup before resealing the wound and handing the cup over. The vampire was both horrified and pleased as it grabbed the offered blood. “Now I’m going to finish this test. I expect you to leave me alone.” The vampire nodded eagerly and watched Harry leave. 

Harry made his way through the rest of the course with a mild headache but overall managed to avoid any more danger. He probably shouldn't have told the vampire all of that but he wasn't about to leave them injured for no reason. Oh that poor hag, he hopes they get medical attention, or that the vampire was at least nice enough to help them. Would be kind of an asshole move if they didn't. He saw Lupin and jogged over with a strained smile. He was winded, that was for sure, he wasn't exactly the most fit child. Even if he was chased around by his cousin all the time. 

“That was impressive. I’ve never seen someone take out a boggart that fast. Nor have I seen a hag go down so quickly. What happened to the vampire though?” Harry flushed and scratched his head awkwardly, he let his mask slip a little, letting Fulgur’s words come to mind. He was allowed to be a kid sometimes. Kids make mistakes and he certainly did.

“I may have been a bit too hasty with a severing charm.” he said. Lupin frowned a little till Harry continued speaking “I apologized profusely though. Offered them a cup of blood and went on my merry way.” now Lupin was looking alarmed. The man pulled Harry closer and looked him over.

“What is the issue now?” Snape asked as he walked over.

“Harry just said he offered a vampire his blood.” Snape eyes widened comically “I’m checking him for the bite. We might be able to stop the infection before it's too late.” Harry rolled his eyes.

“Guys.” he said.

“How stupid could he be.”

“Guys” he repeated again with growing irritation.

“Perhaps we should find the vampire and see if he can reverse it.” Lupin said aloud. Snape nodded and turned to stalk off.

“Guys!” he yelled. The two adults stopped and stared. “I was never bitten by them. I’m not dumb enough to let them do that.” he gustured to himself. “I cut myself and bled into a transfigured cup. No bites, no struggle, just a cup full of blood.” 

The two blinked in unison before a wave of relief washed over them. Harry sighed dramatically and sat down with a huff. He accepted the bottle of water that was handed to him and glared up at Snape who continued to berate him on his word choice. Lacework zoomed past them suddenly and Harry watched her fly gleefully through the sky before landing next to them.

“Wotcher Potter, Snape and Lupin.” she greeted kindly. There was a big smile on her face. Harry greeted back with a small smile of his own. “I hope you're up to flying. If I remember correctly, you never got to take the first class, so this’ll be an experience.” Harry nodded and watched as the obstacle course shifted and changed into a flying course. Lacework’s wand glowed blue slightly as her magic worked to shift the course around them then it dulled as the magic receded back to Lacework’s core. 

“All right then, the course is set, now I want you to go over there and show me if you can call the broom to you.” she said pointing to a broom he hadn't seen before. He stood up on aching muscles and walked over to the broom. He hadn't even put his arm all the way out as the broom shot into his hand. Lacework whistled and checked off something from a piece of parchment he didn't even know she had. What an odd person.

“Okay then, brooms seem to love you. Now I want you to straddle it and kick off the ground but only a little.” Harry nodded and as if it were muscle memory he got on the broom and rose a few feet in the air, letting himself sit there for a second, before lowering back to the ground. “A natural then. Well if that’s the case, I want you to fly through that course over there, take your time, and if you do well I’ll time you if you choose to do a second run.” Harry nodded and flew up to the beginning of the course.

She nodded and he leaned forward. The broom shot through hoops, weaved around poles, and climbed ever higher into the sky. He dove under a metal bar that had appeared between two poles and twisted upside down to avoid a head collision with another. The broom twisted and righted him naturally. He got to the top of the course before letting the broom guide him down. He began to pick up speed as the broom shot down vertically as if to hit the ground. Then at the last second before impact he yanked up and the broom flew across the field before slowly coming to a halt. Harry smiled and held the broom steady as he walked over to Lacework.

The three proctors had looks of shock on their faces. Harry watched as Lacework frantically wrote on the parchment before turning to the other two. They whispered back and forth gesturing to him every so often. Harry yawned and layed in the grass. He was tired and feeling a bit more dull today. If he were a regular child he might have felt surprised or even fear for his life. But somehow he just knew he’d be okay. 

“Well clearly you are a natural at this Mr. Potter.” she said suddenly. Harry peeked his eyes open and stared at her. “You even broke the record for the closest someone has gotten to death during a wronski feint.” Harry snorted as she smiled at him. “I say you passed. It doesn't even need to be discussed. Now I would normally say I’d like to see you out on the quidditch pitch, but i get the feeling you don't care for it.” Harry shrugged as if to say he wasn’t sure. “A shame but there is still some hope if you change your mind next year.” 

Harry nodded absently as he watched her walk away. With a swish of her wand the course completely vanished. Harry followed Snape back inside and allowed him to guide his tired body to dinner. Draco caught him as he fell into his seat. Snape smirked smugly as Harry groaned. The other students around him stared between them fearfully. It was only after the professor left that Blaise asked a question.

“What did he do to you?”

“Put me through absolute torture. Then proceeded to put me in a blender and scramble my insides.” none of them understood the blender reference but they understood the feeling of sickness. Pansy scoffed from her side of the table.

“Well don't puke on me, I don’t need to be contaminated, especially by a halfblood like you.” Draco glared at her before Harry put his hand up. 

“Your argument is invalid Ms. Parkinson. I’m neither sick enough to puke, nor am I a halfblood, so you can shut your little mouth or else I’ll do it for you.” he growled out.

“Liar,” she stated. “Your mother was a mudblood and a whore.” She snickered. Draco’s eyes widened and Harry sat in his seat stock still. A completely blank look on his face. The shock he felt was only matched by the sheer rage that settled under his skin. It's only by some miracle, or more likely, the curse, that’s stopping him from letting the emotion consume his thoughts. 

His wand appeared in his hand and he instantly shut her up. She tried to say something before realizing no one could hear her. Then she turned to Harry and huffed. Harry rolled his eyes and finished eating. 

“What did you do to her?” Draco asked quietly. 

“I used a silencing charm. Useful thing honestly. The fact that it isn't used more is abhorrent. Would make studying in the library so much easier.” Draco smiled and nudged him fondly. 

“Can you teach me?” a voice spoke up. Harry looked at Blaise with curiosity. He hadn't tried to befriend the boy as Fulgur had suggested, even expected him to move on from guard duty, at least after Draco had returned. But the boy continued to get closer to him.

“Sure, we’ve got time before bed, so I don't see the harm.” there was a bang from Pansy’s side of the table. She was glaring at them both and shaking her head. She pointed to Harry and made the motion for death. “Is she threatening me?” he asked slowly. Blaise nodded and Harry smirked. He’d like to see her try. 

It was only after dinner that he removed the charm. Pansy didn’t say anything to him, but rather stalked over to the older slytherins, where Harry knew she would undoubtedly complain. He scoffed and waited for them to leave. Draco cast him a wary glance and looked put off when Harry shrugged it off. 

The twins caught up to them as they walked through the halls. Harry smiled at them and greeted them with a soft voice. Draco wasn’t so sure how to feel and it was apparent by the mixed emotions on his face. The twins whispered into Harry’s ear making Harry stop and look at them. 

“Are you sure?” he asked. The twins nodded excitedly. “I see, well carry on if you must. Though I refuse to be used as a shield against him if you manage to earn his ire.”

“Ah what's one good prank against the master himself? Not like he’d care.” 

“Hmm, well you never know. Now off to bed with you, there are plans that need to be made, and I refuse to have you sleeping while we make them.” the twins saluted and leaned in. 

“May mother magic bless you and your dreams Harry.” they said and bowed low. Harry smiled and bowed back. The twins left not long after and Harry continued to walk along. Draco looked as if he’d seen a ghost with the way his face was pale and his jaw hung open. 

“Close your gob Draco you’ll catch flies.” Draco’s mouth clamped shut with an audible click as the door to the common room opened. They walked and paused at the scene in front of them. 

On one side of the room was Pansy and a group of large students who glared menacingly at him. The other side was filled with curious onlookers and a pair of irate prefects. Though Redshire seemed more dead than anything. 

“It seems I have a welcome party Draco.” he said aloud. He didn't dare to show how worried he was that the room was divided up like this. He would do as Fulgur instructed and refuse to back down. “What’s the celebration?” he asks cheekily. Don't let them know you’re nervous.

“Oh so he does have some confidence.” Pansy says in a mocking tone. “Finally stopped hiding behind Malfoy and Zabini have you?” she gestures to the two of them.

“Who said I was hiding?” he asked with a saccharine smile. “Maybe I enjoy this fun little game of ours. Where you push all my buttons until I explode. I might be patient and very forgiving, but if you speak one more word about anyone I care for, I won’t hesitate to cut your tongue out.” he hissed.

“As if you would dare to even try. I’m the heiress to the Parkinson family, if you even try to touch me I will bury you, of course you wouldn’t know that would you?” she said with a smirk. “Poor Harry Potter, sent to live with his muggle relatives, never knowing what magic was until he got here. How sad.” she placed a hand over her heart as if she felt anything. 

“Then he was put into the wrong house.” someone said behind her. If he remembered correctly it was Marcus Flint, the captain of the slytherin quidditch team, and a real asshole. 

“Imagine a slytherin hanging out with a mudblood.” they sneered. “And a couple of blood traitors. Not to mention he hides away in the library.” 

“What, is slytherin not ravenclaw enough for you?” Harry kept up his sweet smile, never once showing them the true rage inside, and he was feeling it now. Despite the curse pushing it down it was too overwhelming and all he could do is stay still. “Your parents' house too good for you?” 

“Oh look a lion trapped in a den of snakes.” Pansy snarked. “Oh so sad that mommy had to birth a bastard son. Who knows you might not even be a Potter. After all, your mother was a whore.” Harry growled and stepped forwards.  _ Fight back.  _ a voice hissed, it wasn’t Regiis’ and no one seemed to notice it.

“Hold your tongue you manky slag, my mother was better than you’ll ever be, at least she had the confidence to admit she was anything but perfect. Unlike you, hiding away underneath whatever beauty potion you can scrounge up. I bet you’d have to whore yourself out just to conceive a child for that disgusting family of yours.” he ground out.  _ Make them hurt.  _ the voice said again. Harry ignored it.

Pansy didn't hesitate to fling a hex at him. He deflected it back to her and watched as it landed square in her face. Suddenly her teeth grew longer and kept growing as she started to panic. Then the others joined in. Harry grit his teeth as a particularly nasty spell hit him in the side.  _ They deserve pain so fight!  _ it shouted in his head.

God he wished he’d had Regiis with him. But he let the serpent leave the castle to play in the woods. He sent out his distress to the serpent and felt the connection kick in at full power.  _ They caused you pain! If you don't fight they’ll continue to hurt you. So stop being a weakling and fight!  _ A flood of anger was sent back that knocked him over the edge. The curse holding back his rage finally broke apart and he growled.

Draco who had been holding him back with a firm hand seemed to sense the change and immediately let go as Harry rushed forwards and straight through a reductor curse that only broke through the protego he’d put up. He reflected every hex and jinx he could, taking on every cutting curse and spell, before finally making his way over to Flint and Pansy. He kicked the crying girl away and grabbed flint by the collar of his shirt yanking him down to his eye level. His wand pointed to the floor and he cast a knockback jinx to so powerful everyone but himself fell to the floor.

“Are you the one who seems to think they’re in charge?” he snarled. Flint glared back and gripped his wrist tightly. Harry hissed in slight pain but kept ahold of the older boy. “Because they way I see it, all you’re doing is enabling people to be a bunch of prats, and bullies. And I _hate_ bullies with a passion.” Flint spit into his face and Harry growled. He wanted to kill this boy. The little voice in the back of his head seemed to agree with him. 

“Do you know what I do to bullies like you?” he asked calmly. He let his magic seep out, just as Fulgur taught, filling the air with pure malice. “I teach them a lesson they won’t forget. Now I don't condone violence usually, but I think I can make an exception, don't you think?” Flint’s eyes widened as he watched a large sized Regiis slide up behind Harry and wrap around them with his tail. 

“I’m sorry.” he choked out, looking at the serpent. “Please I didn’t mean it, I just thought–” Harry cut him off with a high pitched laugh. 

“You didn't think at all Flint. Admit it, you wanted to watch me break under the others, watch as the boy-who-lived suffered until he could no longer deal with it. Isn't that right?” Flint shook his head as a bit of Regiis’ venom dripped onto the floor next to him. The venom started to sizzle before melting into the floor. Harry scowled “I don't like liars Flint. It's the one thing I refuse to tolerate. So either tell me the truth or I’ll  _ make _ you tell me.” he gestured to Regiis.

By now everyone had backed off. Regiis in his larger form scaring them into complete silence as they watched in morbid fascination as the once timid Harry Potter threatened their leader. Pansy was crying as the hex she had meant for him continued to grow on her. Daphne looked horrified at the events that were transpiring. Blaise showed a small bit of fear though he tried to hide it. 

But Draco, Draco looked terrified, because that wasn’t the Harry he knew. It was as if he became a completely different person. Someone dangerous, to not be messed with, and he feared what would happen should he mess up their relationship. 

“Y- you’re right.” Flint said finally. “I did want to see that. I just- you looked easy to mess with, and everyone thought you were so special, I wanted to see you out in your place.” he admitted. Harry hummed before glaring once more.

“There’s more you are refusing to say.” he stated. “But I will applaud you for choosing the right choice in telling at least some of the truth.” he twirled his wand around before pointing it at Flint. “As for your punishment for attacking me at all… I think I’ll cut your tongue off as well.” his wand lit up for only a moment before the door to the common room slid open to reveal Snape. 

The potions professor took one good look around before landing on Harry and Regiis. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before going steely and glaring. Harry let Flint go and returned his wand to normal. Regiis uncurled himself and shrunk down to normal size. 

“Ah, it’s good to see you professor, I was just finishing up some business.” Snape glanced at the other students before looking back at Harry. Some of the students looked roughed up a bit. But none were as bad as Harry himself. The boy didn't even seem to notice how messed up he was. 

There were cuts all over his arms, his shirt was in tatters, blood seeped into the white of his button up. His glasses were shattered, hair untied and completely tangled, but a sly grin was etched into his face. There was no semblance of Harry in the way he stood.

“Potter, with me.” he said stiltedly then turned to the others. “I hope this has taught you all a lesson. One can only take so much before they break. And their actions can range from going completely useless to ready to kill in a second.” The others nodded numbly. “Clean this place up and take Ms. Parkinson to the hospital wing. If anyone asks it was an accident.”

Pansy squealed indignantly and made a noise close to “he cant get away with this!” Harry growled and went to lunge at her only to be stopped by Snape. He glared at the man with glowing avada eyes that had Snape shuddering. 

“I think he should, after all Parkinson, you were the one to start it all.” Pansy’s eyes widened as if she didn't think she’d be caught. Snape scoffed “you didn't really think I wouldn't notice did you? Are you dense? I take care of all my snakes, even the outcasts. So don't presume that I didn't notice the derogatory terms and insults you flung at Potter and his loved ones. You should be ashamed of yourself for insulting him when you don’t even know him.”

Harry slowly seemed to slump in the professors arms, his eyes dulling from the lack of action, his magic receding back into his core to be stored for use. Snape said a few more words he couldn’t quite catch in his dazed state. Then he was moving through the hall. A door opened and slammed as they entered and Harry realized he was placed on a loveseat. 

Snape’s concerned face filtered into view for a moment before all he knew was darkness. 


	10. Late night talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again late and I apologize. The surface pro that I write on had to be sent back for a replacement from some weird motherboard corruption that's been plaguing people recently. Anyway enjoy and give me some good vibes in the comments,

He was surrounded by an empty vacuum of darkness. He could see nothing in front of him for so long he thought he’d go mad. The waiting was terrible. He had no concept of time, what was up or down, not even if he was actually alive. He couldn’t feel his heartbeat at all. 

He began to walk in one direction, just to give him some semblance of reality. His footsteps echoed into the void and he shuddered involuntarily. Here in the void he could feel his emotions again. The sadness, anger, and regret were incredibly strong. Especially after he attacked a fellow slytherin. Why had he done that? What made him snap in the first place? 

He remembered the voice, so familiar, yet so different from normal. It sounded like him, yet not at the same time, but how? And why had it only chosen then to speak up? He wandered around with his thoughts rushing around in his head. Then an orb of light flew past him. 

He startled for a moment before looking at it. It was bright, yet also dark, a line of gray stood between the two sides blending them together. The orb seemed to be confused, unsure where it should go, almost as if it was looking for something. 

Then three large chains shot from the abyss and wrapped around the orb. Holding it there in a way that had Harry’s stomach dropping. It felt so wrong to see. The orb wasn't meant to be chained up! Then he watched as a shard of something dark whizzes by and embedded itself into the orb. That didn’t feel right either. None of this was how it was supposed to be. 

He took a tentative step forward, the echo surrounded him, stopping all movement from the orb. It looked to be staring at him, pleading for his help, so Harry did what he did best. He ran into danger. Chains shot up from the floor, trying desperately to grab him, he felt something dig into his leg and looked down to see a hook in his flesh. He screamed in pain as it yanked on his leg. He fell forward, his face slamming into nothingness, another chain wraps itself around his arm. They yank and tear at him slowly. 

Voices fill the abyss, people calling him names, screaming insults into his ears. Not just for him, but those he cares for, those he would rather die for than lose. In front of him appears six faceless figures. One steps forward and he watches as it shifts into Hermione.

“How could you let them do this to me Harry? I thought we were friends. But I guess you were just like them in the end. Only out to get what you want, never thinking of others. I hate you!” she yelled. Harry looked in pain as she vanished without a trace. 

Two of the faceless people walked up and Harry could now see the twins. They looked broken and injured all over. Fred looked pale, his ears bleeding, he didn’t seem to know what was happening. George glared down at him and Harry could  _ feel  _ the hatred radiating off him in waves. 

“You let them kill my brother Harry. All because you were too weak to fight. I hope you’re happy.” George turned his brother around and guided him into the abyss. Harry watched as they too vanished. 

Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched the next person walk up. Draco seemed much older than before. All of them had but Draco more so. He had a haunted look to his eyes. As if he’d seen death themself. 

“You allowed that war to happen.” he said quietly. “I know you were afraid but you needed to be strong. But you ran away instead of fought for us. How could you?” Draco turned on his heel and walked away. Harry cried out for him to stop but his voice could not be heard. 

“I died for you.” the next voice said. It was Snape, far older than before, stress lines embedded in his face, a dull lifeless look in his eyes. “I died for you and it was all for nothing. You didn’t take it seriously enough and when it came time to pull through you couldn't. You are weak.” he hissed through clenched teeth. Harry’s tears came out more freely even as the pain from the hooks died out to a dull numbness. Snape turned away and Vanished. 

The last person walked forward but they did not show a face. Nor did it show a body. It was completely blank. But as it spoke Harry felt a chill go down his spine.

“You gave up on me. Told me I could never be saved. Killed me many times over and yet you still cling on to the hope for a happy ending. How could you wish to have one when you refuse to help those that need it?” the person’s voice cracked. “I just wanted to be loved, but no one could even try, no one wanted me. Not even you.” Harry felt a pang in his chest as he watched the figure walk away.

His screams for them to return were completely silent. No one could hear you plead when you yourself were deaf to it all. He was so confused, he didn’t know why this was happening, yet a deeper part of him did. Everything in the abyss vanished one by one. Until all that was left was the orb. He stared at it from his spot and felt its longing from within. 

Something wrapped itself around him. A shadowy cloak spilled into his vision as slowly his hearing returned. The abyss echoed and moaned eerily. He looked to the side to see a young person with a familiar face. They were pale, green eyed, and white haired. All sense of life seemed to not exist for them. As they looked similar to a doll in appearance. A name popped into his head as he tried to recall it.

“Death.” he said softly. The person eyes him before nodding. “What is this place?” he asked, looking around into the void. 

**“The inbetween.”** they spoke. Their voice echoed all around him, as if two people were speaking at once, similar to shadowspeak but different. **“It is where the past lives meet the present and the present meet the future. A place one would go to find answers to questions they do not yet have.”**

“But why am I here?” he wondered aloud. Death hummed before standing up. Their cloak billowed out behind them, the fabric moving as if in the wind, but there was no wind in the void. 

**“I believe your soul was reaching out to your past selves. Versions of you with the answers you seek. You are different from your other iterations. While they seek to destroy one singular person you seek to only protect those you love.”**

“But how did any of this answer my questions?” Harry asked incredulously. “All I know is that I betrayed those I cared about before. How do I avoid that?” Death stared at him blankly. 

**“I cannot tell you the answers. But I can give you a clue. Seek out what was once shunned and let it fester in your heart. Only then will you find your true end.”**

Harry sighed and stared back at the orb. Of course nothing could be so simple. That could literally mean anything. The orb pulsed twice before going back to its quiet mourning. 

“What is that thing?” He asked. Death peered at it and glided over. They touched it and Harry felt a wave of cold wash over him. 

**“This would be your core. Though it is strong, someone has locked it away, only a small amount is available to you.”** They said with a very clear frown. Harry’s immediate thought went to Dumbledore which seemed to amuse the entity. 

“When I wake up…” he bit his lip in worry “will I remember all of this?” Death stilled before gliding back over to him. The entity held his head in its hands and looked him in the eyes.

**“No, you will not remember all of it, only what you needed to know. But I need you to know, you will never be alone, I will always be there to watch over you. Even when everyone seems to turn their back on you, you are** **_never_ ** **alone.”**

Harry nodded before jumping as a bell tolled around them. It echoed and shook the abyss, hairline fractures of light could be seen around them, the bell tolled one last time before finally, the abyss shattered into pieces.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Harry awoke with a gasp of air. His head rushed as whatever he had been dreaming about vanished from his thoughts. Snape stood over him with a worried look on his face. He looked around to see where he was. The familiar curtains of the hospital wing made him frown. 

Sluggishly, he sat up, feeling completely numb to everything around him. Regiis moved around him prodding gently at his mind. Harry lowered his barriers and let the connection reopen. He shuddered at the wave of emotion that rolled into him. 

“Are you alright Potter?” Snape asked, looking between the snake and the harrowed boy. Something must have happened to make him so distressed. Dull green eyes looked up at the professor. But instead of recognition it seemed as if Harry was staring through him. “Harry?” he intoned gently. 

Suddenly Harry blinked and reeled back from the man. His heart beat quickly in his chest as a wave of fear and regret crashed against him. Regiis hissed his concerns to deaf ears. Harry curled in on himself, his head between his knees, his arms over his head, fingers digging into long tresses of hair. He rocked gently and hummed to himself quietly. 

Snape had no idea what to do. His own experiences told him that he should wait it out. Let Harry work through this on his own. But another small part of him, one that craved comfort, wanted him to reach out and help him. Something touched his shoulder and he turned to see Dumbledore standing there with a frown. 

“Severus,” he began, he stared at Harry with a glazed look in his eyes, a look that was quickly replaced by grandfatherly concern. “Let me handle this. I believe I know a bit more about helping others through panic.” despite the mistrust he felt for the man he nodded and let him pass. He looked at Harry one last time before shuffling out of the room. He would ask questions later.

Dumbledore sat in the chair next to the bed. He looked upon Harry with a withering gaze. How had he messed up so bad? The child had yet to show any sense of adventure. Not only that, but he stayed out of trouble at every turn, not a single portrait reported anything positive back to him. It was as if he were the opposite of his father. 

His wish to have Hagrid get the boy before school was moot when his relatives had told him he was out with a family friend. A friend he had no idea existed. But looking through their memories he found this mystery person did indeed exist. Not only that, but they seemed to be fond of Harry, even while the others weren't. 

He admits that he panicked when he found out. He didn’t want the boy coming into their world feeling loved. So in his panic he used a curse that made it so the boy felt nothing at all. Perhaps it was a poor decision. His sense of adventure seemed nonexistent, his happiness was just a mask, and it seemed like he couldn't emotionally connect with others. Which was exceedingly bad. 

He’d wanted the boy to find a few friends. Some that he could manipulate into getting Harry where he wanted him. But the friends he did have were distant at best and enemies at worst. This disconnect was worrying to a degree he wasn't sure he liked. But the curse he had cast was something he hadn't fully studied. So he had no idea how to reverse it. So he’d just have to make due with what he had. Even if he knew deep down that what he was doing wasn’t right.

He flicked his wand from between his robes. A compulsion to look for danger would do well in this case. And maybe compulsion to trust him as well. The snake he hadn't seen before looked at him with glowing green eyes. Eyes that reminded him so vividly of the boy’s own. He shuddered and stood up again. 

He placed a hand against the boy’s shoulder and sent out a wave of calm through his magic. Harry relaxed slowly before looking up at Dumbledore confused. The snake hissed slowly and Harry turned to listen as it told him whatever lies it could think of. Dumbledore would try to be rid of the snake but he would dare not do so obviously. How could Harry trust such an evil creature?

“Harry, I see you’ve awoken.” he said, cutting the serpent off. Harry looked at him questioningly before nodding.

“Yes sir…” his gaze went hazy as if seeing something not actually here before refocusing. “How long have I been here?” 

“Only a few hours. It is very late but I was hoping to speak with you.” Harry frowned and looked at the seat behind him as if expecting something to be there. When he saw that nothing was there he nodded to the old headmaster. “Well firstly, how are you feeling?” Harry grimaced.

“Cold, and kind of hungry, but mostly cold. Maybe a little tired too.” he frowned again and looked at Dumbledore confused. 

“That seems pretty normal for what you went through today.” he replied wisely. “Panic attacks take a lot of energy out of a person. I myself had a few growing up.” 

“Wasn't professor Snape here before?” Harry asked suddenly. 

“Yes, but he wasn’t sure how to go about calming you, so he let me try instead.” a look of hurt flashed across the boy's face before vanishing. “Did you perhaps want him to stay?” Harry seemed to contemplate the question before shaking his head.

“No, I suppose not, he’s a bit mean to me. Treats me like rubbish in class most of the time. Likes to talk down to me as if I’m an idiot.” Harry paused and grimaced “I might be though. I mean, I had no idea magic even existed before, so I don't know everything.” 

“Well, if it makes you feel a bit better, McGonagall tells me you excel in her class. Do you study a lot Harry?” Harry nodded eagerly. 

“Yes sir, I spend a lot of time in the library. The books are very helpful, though my housemates look at me odd sometimes, they think I would’ve made a better Ravenclaw.”

“Not a Gryffindor?” Dumbledore asked eagerly.

“Nope, said I’ve got my head so far into the books, I have no time to even think about adventures when I’m so far behind my peers.” Harry replied, smiling. Dumbledore could almost see a spark of real happiness in the boy’s eyes. But that spark died away just as quickly as it came. 

“I see, well it’s good that you take education seriously, though you should always make time for yourself and some friends.” Harry tilted his head before nodding.

“I can try, though I don't have very many, but I’ll try to make some.” The grin he got from the boy was bright and almost real enough to make him believe it. But he knew it wasn't. The only emotions that really existed in this boy were fear and confusion. He could see it on him most of the time.

The confusion was obvious to him. Not knowing anything about magic would make anyone confused. Social interactions even more so as he grew up without friends. The fear was, of course, beaten into him. So it must be a constant for the boy. Such strong emotions controlled his life. 

Dumbledore reveled in it, knowing that he had made it happen, knowing that he was the only one Harry would turn to other than a few close friends. All because he cast a few spells and curses. Still, a small part of him mourned his actions, fighting against the twisted thoughts of his mind. He chose to ignore the voice in his head to focus on his current task. Perhaps he should celebrate this small victory. He smiled at Harry and pulled away from the boy. 

“It is awfully late now Harry. I shouldn’t keep you from much needed rest. Perhaps Poppy could get you a meal.” Harry’s eyes widened as his stomach growled. “Yes, I should think she could. I’ll let her know you’ve woken. Goodnight Harry my boy.”

“Goodnight headmaster.” Dumbledore gave him a grandfatherly smile before walking away and telling madame Pomfrey that Harry was awake. Harry watched him leave before slumping back in relief. 

He was confused, he’d told the older man more than he had intended, which was odd. Fulgur had taught him to distrust the man. Yet he found himself trusting him anyway. It felt wrong in so many ways, but at the same time, who was he to judge a man he didn’t know? He was only given Fulgur’s side of the story. Though he wasn’t sure he was told  _ everything. _

Not even minutes later a tray of food was set in front of him. Madame Pomfrey smiled softly and lifted his hands in hers. She tutted as she felt his misaligned bones click together. 

“We’ll have to fix those as you sleep.” Harry frowned as she sighed. “There are far too many things wrong with you dear. No child should be like this. I only hope life gets at least a little better for you.” She placed a potion on the tray as well and smiled. “Dreamless sleep so you can rest easy tonight.” 

“Thank you.” he whispered softly. There was a pained look in her eye but it vanished just as quick as it came. She turned away and walked out of the room. Goddess only knows how long she’ll be gone.

A soft clicking of feet echoes in the room. A familiar blur comes into vision and sits next to his bed. His magic heats as they scoot closer. A want– no, a  _ need _ to protect this person fills Harry. Glimpses of a faceless individual crying for him fills his head before being sucked back into the void of his mind. 

“Marvolo.” he greets. 

“Noctis.” they reply back. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” 

“Is it not polite to visit a friend when they are in poor health?” he asks with a chuckle. “Speaking of, how did you end up here?” Harry contemplated his answers before leaning back with a heavy sigh.

“I fought my housemates.” Marvolo stills in his seat and Harry glances at him with glowing eyes. “They were treating me like yesterday's rubbish. So I put them in their place.” 

“You don't sound too happy about that.” 

“I suppose I’m not. Violence isn’t something I particularly enjoy.” he says, wrapping a loose thread around his finger. Regiis slips underneath the blankets and into the warmth. “But I won’t hesitate to retaliate when myself or loved ones are being threatened. Both physically or mentally.”

“You sound like someone I knew as a child.” Marvolo said with a hint of mirth in his voice.

“Oh?”

“His name was Tom Riddle. He was much like you in a way.” Harry narrowed his eyes and turned away from the man. “He could speak to snakes, lacked many of the regular emotions one would normally have, used powerful magic, and he most certainly was a Slytherin. He wasn't violent…” Harry didn’t believe that. “Well, not at first anyways. But something happened that made him afraid. And fear, fear is a powerful emotion, it often leads to irreversible mistakes.” 

“You don't say.” a flare of curiosity welled up and Harry knew it was from Marvolo. “I do struggle with emotions. Though it is no fault of mine–” he said, gagging a little. “I only seem to feel things when they are at their most extreme. Hence the absolute rage that Regiis said permeated from me. So potently that half the castle could feel it.”

“Yes, it was quite a shock.” the man mused with a fondness. “You are quite… different, from how the public have portrayed you.” he said slowly. 

“How so?” Marvolo hums in response. Harry eyed the juicy steak on his plate, having ignored it for most of the conversation, he was tempted to bite into it. Tear it to shreds, like he would have done to Pansy, or possibly Flint had he been given the chance.  _ Do it,  _ a little voice told him. The voice was ignored as Marvolo began to speak again.

“They see you as a savior. Some untouchable being that can do no wrong. But obviously that isn’t the case, you attacked your housemates after all, so were they right to think so?” he asked. Harry smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “Not to mention you’re a parselmouth. Most people would deem that as a sign of darkness.”

“Yes, well, as you can see, I’m  _ not _ most people. Honestly the prejudices people have today are unwarranted.” he seethed. “One person happened to screw up and suddenly the whole language was thrown under the bus. Broom? I’m not sure of the wizard equivalent.” Marvolo chuckled and Harry felt a little proud of himself for eliciting that reaction. “Not to mention this whole light and dark magic fiasco. Honestly, magic is magic, it's neither evil nor good. If people actually did their research they might learn a thing or two.”

“I would advise you to keep those thoughts to yourself Noctis. Not many share the same views as you.” Harry rolled his eyes, cutting into the steak and taking a bite, flavor exploded in his mouth and he sighed in relief. He hated the food in this place sometimes. “Or would you perhaps be so inclined as to change the views of those around you?” 

“It does sound appealing.” Harry admits after swallowing. “I would love to see magic in its former glory. It is quite empowering when you can feel nature's own natural magic flow through you.”

“Much like the feeling of offering food to your goddess?” Harry nods before stilling completely. “Yes, I have noticed you offering to the goddess during meals. It is nothing to be ashamed of nor should you fear retribution. I myself offer to mother magic each night before bed.”

“And how have you seen me when I’ve never noticed you outside of our meetings.” 

“That is for me to know and you to find out.” the way it’s said is masked in a sweetness that belies its sinister undertones. “But I believe I’ve already said too much. You should really get some rest and I have another meeting soon. May the mother bless your dreams dear Noctis.” Marvolo says in a near whisper. Harry listens to him leave before releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

Marvolo was a strange man. One that Harry was unsure of, yet drawn to, as if pulled by an invisible thread.  _ He is a threat _ , the voice said.  _ He could betray us at any moment and yet we allow these meetings to exist. _ It wasn't wrong honestly. Harry was told vehemently that he was not to speak his knowledge of the darke to anyone. Yet here he was, speaking to Marvolo as if he were an old friend.

_ You are a fool. _ The voice spoke again. A fool he was, but every fool had a king to serve, he just needed to find one.  _ We could be a king if we so choose. _ The voice offered. Harry paused in his eating. The voice in his head spoke oddly. We? As in multiple people?  _ The very same. _ Harry blinked in shock.

_ Do not be so surprised _ . It said with a tinkling laugh. What is the voice?  _ I am you, perhaps not at first, but over time I have become one with you.  _ And where did it come from exactly?  _ I am unsure, I remember coming into existence when you were but a babe, though I was less coherent then.  _ But are they actually him? 

_ Of course I am! _ They growled as if offended.  _ I may not have been born from you but I most certainly am  _ you _ or else we would have a separate soul. _ Were we ever separated?  _ At first maybe. But your soul let me join with you. Now I am you and you are me.  _ Then why not consider us as one? Why use the phrase “we”?  _ I… I’m not sure. Perhaps because I’ve gained a separate sentience from you.  _

That was an interesting fact. How had they managed to do so? It’s not as if he’s been playing with soul magic. Or mind magic for that matter. He yawned and set the tray aside. He should think about that later. For now he was tired and needed a long nap. Maybe he can inquire more about Marvolo later on.  _ I do not trust him.  _ why?  _ I’m not sure… but I get the feeling we’ll find out eventually. _

* * *

  
  
  


Harry stared at snape in confusion, then he looked at his twin, then back to Snape. The rune stone around his neck hung with a heavy sort of magic. Neither dark nor light but a muted gray. 

“Come again?” he asked slowly. Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Honestly Potter this is the third time I’m explaining it. Even your double is getting sick of it.” Harry stared at his double, blood red eyes stared back, though they were amused more than anything. Though he wouldn't tell Snape that. 

“You passed the practical exams almost flawlessly. You are at a fourth year level for most classes. Charms and Defense being the two exceptions. You are closer to sixth year in both but we’ve chosen to keep you at a fifth year criteria.” 

“Okay but that doesn't explain my body double.” he said looking at his twin with a disturbed fascination. They were nearly identical, besides the red eyes and even pointier teeth, you probably couldn’t tell them apart. 

“ _ I’m  _ here so  _ you _ don't have to attend the everyday classes. I’ll also be strengthening your relationships with your friends. Since apparently I have a full range of emotion compared to you.” the twin said. Harry cringed and begrudgingly accepted that fact. 

“Won’t that be a little odd though? There will be two of me running around. And what if something important happens and I’m not there to see it? How will I know what happened?” 

“At the end of classes the spell will be broken and the two of you will merge together once more. Any memories he makes will join with the rest of yours.” Snape replied patiently. Harry took one last look at his double before nodding in acceptance. 

“Alright, now what about spellcasting? He needs a wand for classes and so do I.” Snape went to say something but his twin held up his hand and wiggled his fingers. His ring was pulled off and turned once more into a wand. “Well… this will certainly be easier with two wands.” 

“Quite, obviously you know to avoid one another during the day. Harry will be using the abandoned classroom he did his tests in for classes. Each of your teachers were given two-way mirrors that directly connects to yours.” the dour man says, handing over a silver mirror with runes carved into it. “The other you will do as he said and go to all your normal classes. Are there any more questions?” 

“Yeah, I have a few.” the twin said. “Does the spell autocast itself for me to come back out? And will this have any negative effects on the host’s mind?” Snape seemed to pause at that and stare incredulously at the twin.

“The spell will renew itself before classes begin, yes. So it is best to eat quickly and get into the classroom before anyone sees you.” he paused. “As for your mind, I don't think any damage will occur unless you create a second double, in which case your brain would melt under the feedback given to you as they both return.” Harry blanched and looked at his twin who held a similar expression. They definitely weren’t adding another to their ranks. 

“I’ll leave you to speak amongst yourself.” the man said walking to the classroom door. “And Harry,” both sets of eyes stare at Snape “don't let the others do that to you again. It is unwise to bottle up your emotions.” He left the room and closed the door with a quiet click. The twins stared at each other before simultaneously shrugging.

“So,” Harry began, “are you the voice I keep hearing in my head?” The other Harry snorted and nodded. “I thought so, you suddenly disappeared when Snape put the necklace on me, I was worried something had gone wrong.”

“It was a bit odd when I opened my eyes. You’re typically the one that has full control. It's weird, not unwelcome, but weird.”

“You aren't going to do the whole evil twin switcheroo with me right?” Harry sincerely hoped not. That would be terrifying. His twin rolled his eyes and shook his head fondly.

“No, I don’t think I will. Being separated from you makes me uneasy.” he admitted.

“Like a piece of yourself has just vanished and it feels like you’re being ripped apart?” Harry asked knowingly. His twin nodded numbly, not knowing how to respond. “Yeah I feel it too. It probably isn’t as intense as yours but it’s still not a pleasant experience.” he smiled softly before a thought occurred to him. “What do I call you?” he asked and his twin tilted his head in confusion. “Well obviously you’re me, and others will call you Harry, but just between the two of us it’s a little odd to both be Harry.” the other Harry hummed in agreement and pursed his lips. 

”Tom?” he asked, then shuddered and shook his head. “Nevermind that was a bad thought. Umm, how about… Noct?” he suggested warily. Harry tossed the idea around in his head before shrugging and nodding in agreement.

“Sure why not? The only people who know about that name is limited. I don’t think Regiis, or Fulgur for that matter, would throw that name out even if they were on their deathbeds.”

“And what of Marvolo? Did you forget we told him as well?” Harry stilled and frowned. “Honestly you should really think more about our survival rather than your insatiable curiosity.” 

“Hey! It is not insatiable, I just get very passionate, and maybe a little reckless.” Noct shook his head in exasperation:

“You are such a ravenclaw.” Harry stuck his tongue out then looked at the time and pouted.

“Time goes by far too fast. I miss the fae realm.” he muttered. Noct nodded in agreement “well you should probably go then. Don't do anything I wouldn’t do.” Noct rolled his eyes “and put up a glamour, your eyes are red, and everyone knows my eyes are naturally green.” 

Noct blinked a few times before the color shifted into a natural green, one that held a little more life than Harry’s own, it made Harry frown slightly but he shook it off. Noct saluted him before closing the door and locking it. Harry spun in a circle around the room with a scowl. There was no furniture, no bookshelves, and no books. How was he supposed to learn anything when he’s stuck in what seems more like a holding cell?

Then a thought occurred to him. Hogwarts is said to be sentient, the moving stairs, and disappearing doors could attest to that. But would it be able to listen to him? Could it grant requests? Harry put a hand to the floor and opened up his core. 

He gasped in shock as an overwhelming amount of magic flooded into him. Years and years of built up magic caressed his own in a loving display of colors. Black, white, gray, blue, red, green, yellow, all kinds of magic surrounded him. How had no one noticed such a thing? The magic buzzed in a feeling reminiscent to fondness as he caressed the magic with his own. 

“Hello Hogwarts.” he said softly. The room filled with a rush of warm air as the magic buzzed around him happily. “Wow.” was all he could say in response. Because what could you say? What  _ would _ you say to a sentient castle? He smiled and pulled himself back together. It was time to test his theory.

“Hogwarts could you do me a favor?” he asked. The magic shifted to a curious tone. “I’m using this room to learn in but it doesn't have any furniture or books. Could you help me with that?” The magic stopped as if considering his words. Then the room around him swirled as furniture suddenly popped out of nowhere. Bookshelves lined themselves with books, a desk filled itself with parchment and ink pots, a thick green rug covered the floor, and the ceiling had a chandelier hanging from it. 

No longer were the walls barren, covered instead with tapestries, flags, and unmoving portraits. There was a fireplace that wasn’t there before, the mantle was covered in crystals, they glowed softly in the low light. He looked at the books on the shelves and found himself delighted at what he found. Books on runes, arithmancy, creatures, and a few on the dark arts filled the shelves to the brim. Then right before his eyes a few books were replaced with other things. 

Books on wizarding laws, customs, history, and general rules replaced those of charms and defence. Another book appeared and Harry smirked. A book on the official Hogwarts rules. 

The mirror in his pocket buzzed and he rushed over to the desk. He was eager to see which class he was starting with today. He opened the mirror to find a stern face looking back and he gulped. Mrs. Dovetale stared at him with a scowl before softening her features and smiling.

“It’s nice to see you dear.” she said fondly. “Your knowledge in plant care impressed me so I will be your official Herbology professor until you graduate. We will meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I will watch through the mirror as you work with your plants, and I’ll teach you the charm for artificial sunlight.” 

Harry nodded eagerly and pulled out his notebook. He grabbed his fountain pen and stared at her eagerly. She smiled back and lifted her wand. 

“The incantation is Solis Orbis.” she stated then pointed her wand. “Your wand must move in a clockwise swirl three times, starting from the middle to the outside, then you flick the wand in the direction you want the orb to be.” Harry nodded and wrote the charm. 

He stood up and propped the mirror against the wall so Dovetale could see. Then he followed her instructions. He swirled his wand three times and flicked it towards the ceiling near the back of the room while saying the incantation. A small orb floated from the tip of his wand before fizzling out. He frowned dejectedly and Dovetale smiled back.

“It’s alright dear, the charm uses quite a bit of magic, but if you use too much magic it’ll grow out of control and fill the room with blinding light.” Harry stared in shock. He could have blinded himself and she didn’t even say anything. He shivered at her cruel sounding laugh. “I’m not like Pamona dear, if you don't ask the proper questions, I won't give you the proper answers.” note to self: Dovetale is sadistic and will absolutely laugh if you fail.

“Now to get rid of it you only need to reverse the wand movement and say Sol Deficere.” Harry nodded. “I want you to keep working at that for the rest of the class period. Only use small amounts of magic at a time until the orb is stable. Don’t try to go any further than that.” Harry nods slowly and turns away from the mirror. She laughs at him when he jumps at the sound of clapping. “Just keeping you on your toes.” she reasoned.

Harry grimaced and returned to his feeble attempts at casting the charm. Damn sadists, why do all his teachers enjoy his suffering?

  
  
  



	11. Forbidden forest who?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The unicorn's body laid motionless on the ground, blood pooling around it, a mass of black hunched over its corpse. The mass shifted and Harry could see gleaming red eyes staring back at him. Run. He stood his ground and stared back. 
> 
> “You know,” he began “drinking unicorn blood is the stupidest thing you could possibly do.”

Living with Noct was a chore. Not an unwelcome one mind you. But a chore nonetheless. His schedule was odd. Wake up, take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to the classroom and split apart. Classes would continue as normal then at lunch time they would re-merge so they can eat. Then it was back to classes, avoid the portraits whenever Harry needed the bathroom, then re-merge for dinner.

Which doesn't sound so bad when you think about it. But the merging process was very uncomfortable. The amount of information Harry’s brain gets every time they merge makes his head feel like it is about to explode. Something both he and Noct dislike immensely. Noct has taken to reorganizing his mind when he eats, which he’s grateful for, because otherwise, he couldn’t think for the rest of his classes. Which annoyed both Dovetale and Snape. Flitwick was a bit more understanding as he was the one to suggest the body double charm. 

Weekends were spent studying in the library. Noct would take all the info and store it wherever he thought it fit at that time. He was like a personal filing assistant much to his own chagrin. They were also spent with friends. Friends Harry hadn’t really spent time with on his own. 

Susan Bones would join him in the library with a smile and strike up conversation. Harry would try his best to seem interested and hide his lack of emotion. But eventually she saw through his mask and told him to stop when they were alone. The same had happened with all of his friends. Each of them saying nearly identical lines.

“The Harry I know is too much of an emotional wreck.” and when asked to elaborate? “You either have too much emotion or not enough. Anything in between is unheard of and suspicious.” So Noct wasn’t that much better than himself. Either that or he was acting as Harry would. 

He also found himself with a few enemies. Pansy and Flint were obvious. But Ronald Weasley was a new addition. When Harry waved He had scoffed and walked by with an annoyed expression. And of course, Ron’s friends had followed suit, so now he was pestered by three Gryffindors at any given point. 

Neville and Hermoine had tried to apologize but Harry brushed them off, he instead opted to tell Snape, who, if Noct’s memory serves correctly, takes as many house points away from them when possible.

He made a few Ravenclaw friends as well. Padma Patil had encountered him in the library and badgered him about Regiis who basked in the attention. Then she went off and brought back a few of her friends. Cho Chang had found him charming when he expressed his excitement for runes and arithmancy. She shared a few notes with him when he asked and she was genuinely amused by his questions about the Ravenclaw common room. 

Terry Boot on the other hand was wary of him. He wasn't a fan of conflict, so he’d leave whenever Ron or Pansy came around, which only made their ego's get bigger much to Harry’s annoyance. He was a great student, did well in charms, and took notes with the cleanest handwriting Harry had ever seen from a student. So it was unfortunate he was scared off so easily.

Though something that surprised him was two Hufflepuff’s that backed him up one Saturday morning. Ernie Macmillon and Justin Finch-Fletchley were sitting in the courtyard playing gobstones not far from Harry when Pansy and her posse had come around. Harry was feeling especially tired that day and tried to ignore them.

“Can’t you see he doesn't care about whatever you’re trying to do?” Justin said from his spot on the ground. 

“Oh yeah? And can’t you see I don't care about what a filthy little mudblood like yourself has to say?” she quipped back. Harry inhaled sharply and glared in her direction. Ernie seemed to take great offense as he stood up and towered over her.

“Say that again and I can’t promise you’ll leave here unharmed.” he growled. Pansy glared back defiantly.

“It’s what he is. And as a mudblood he should learn his pla–” she never got to finish that sentence as Harry lifted his wand and cast a lock jaw jinx. Typically used to make the target keep their mouths closed but in this case it was much worse. Blood dripped from her mouth and she turned to Harry wide eyed and radiating fear. Harry reversed the jinx and watched as she opened her mouth and saw her teeth embedded into her tongue. 

“Snape may have said  _ I  _ couldn't remove it. But he never said  _ you _ couldn’t, did he?” he asked sweetly. Pansy’s eyes welled up with tears and she ran back inside. Presumably to tell a teacher or get Pomfrey to heal her. 

Ernie and Justin had thanked him profusely and that had started a friendship he didn’t think would happen. And if later that day Snape asked if he caused Pansy to bite her own tongue? He said he had absolutely no idea what the man was talking about. The smirk he received was placed into the forefront of his mind by Noct. 

Crabbe and Goyle had also made an appearance. After his powerful “display” in the common room, a lot of people began to back him up, this included the prefect Redshire who only did so because the older Slytherins pestered him constantly. It was his NEWT’s year and he just wanted to study, and sleep, but mostly study. So many of the people who were seen as outcasts rallied behind him. Half-bloods and muggleborns alike walked with him to lunch and dinner. Draco –who had read the makeshift books Harry made– was all too happy to ask questions and direct them on how to act like a true wizard. 

It was odd to see a Pureblood teaching a bunch of Half-blood’s and Muggleborns how to be wizards. But as strange as it was, it was needed, not because they came into this world refusing to change from their muggle ways, but because the knowledge wasn't given to them in order to integrate themselves into society.

Hermoine had joined them as well, sat and learned under the tutelage of Draco, eyes showing an eagerness to learn. By the end of the lesson most people knew the proper greetings and farewells that Harry had learned with Fulgur. But with it came more students who wanted to learn. And at that point madam Pince was getting antsy about how full her library was getting. So they did the only thing they could think of. They asked to form a club. 

Blaise and Daphne were all for it. They went around and asked teachers to sign papers with a few fourth years who had agreed to oversee them. Flitwick and Sprout were all too happy to sign off. Snape was even more so. But there were a few hiccoughs along the way. McGonagall saw no reason for it, told them that if they wanted to learn then they could research, which Harry found awfully rude of the professor. Hermoine seemed to agree because she then proceeded to chastise the professor. 

“I want to know too, professor. I was pulled into this world without the know-how of my wizarding peers. And learning from them makes it more authentic than reading a silly old book. A book, mind you, that is completely out of date. So yes, I would rather have someone teach us, because in this case word of mouth is more reliable than text written on paper.” 

McGonagall stared at Hermione with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Harry had to admit, she wasn’t the same girl he consoled in the hall the day of his practicals, and he wasn’t afraid to admit he was proud of her. So when Daphne came back with a red faced Hermione and a signature from McGonagall everyone cheered. And the mood was a constant for days afterwards. They gathered as many signatures as possible and finally took it to Snape to be finalized.

Everyone was excited, Draco especially, since he would be the main instructor in the club. Even a few seventh years had joined in to see everything unfold. Pansy had backed off when she saw the group they had amassed in the halls. She had no desire to pick a fight when so easily outnumbered. Something that Harry found amusement in.

Ron on the other hand, he wasn't as smart, and he eventually cast a hex at one of the other first years. A hufflepuff named Hannah who many were fond of. The resulting backlash from the Hufflepuffs surprised everyone but Harry and the Ravenclaws. Ron and his gang of troublemakers were chased off, hexed in the halls, and were overall disliked by the entire house. All because little Hannah Abott had cried from a Pepper breath hex. 

Then came the day everything went downhill. And to say Harry was livid was an understatement. Livid wasn't a strong enough word for what he felt. He was infuriated, seething, completely incensed! Why did the fates have to torture him!?

“The headmaster has declined the offer for a wizarding studies club.” Snape said, he too was upset with the man, but he hid it well behind his mask. “I apologize for the inconvenience.” Many of the students who had come together for the club complained as one. Sighs of defeat, groans of annoyance, and yells of rage all joined together in a classroom Harry found for the club. 

“There is a silver lining to this though.” Snape said quickly. “Just because you may not gather as a club doesn't mean you aren’t allowed to learn in small groups.” he points to Draco and the other purebloods. “Each of you can split off into small groups of eight at most and find different areas to do your studies. This room can be a place to reconvene and decide what to focus on next.” 

“If you need a place to study and all the spots are taken you can ask the castle directly.” Harry piped up. Everyone shifted to look at him with matching looks of confusion. “It’s the truth. Hogwarts is sentient, you just need to ask, it’s how I found this place.” none of them looked convinced so Harry rolled his eyes and opened up his barriers to feel out the castle's magic. “Can we get better lighting in here?” he asked.

A bell tolled and suddenly a chandelier and a few torches lit up the room. A set of glowing clear crystals was placed on each table in the room. Even the bookshelves were filled with smaller crystals. 

“You just need to ask and the castle provides. You can even ask to make the rooms only visible to your group too. Obviously you can’t ask for the impossible. There will be no food in these spaces unless you bring it yourself.” The others looked up at him excitedly and he motioned back to snape. 

“As there are currently forty club members, and only eight available instructors, you will all split off into groups of five. Greengrass, Malfoy, Zabini, and Longbottom will take the first years. The rest of you will pair up with Clearwater, Bole, Diggory, and the Weasley twins.”

“Wait why do the twins count as one singular person?” Hermione asked. Others in the crowd muttered their own confusions.

“Wizarding twins are considered to share a singular soul. Wherever one twin goes, so too, will the other. Which means anyone who marries one of them had better be ready to handle a set of troublemakers.” Snape sighed out as the twins wolf whistled. “That is not an invitation to date them though. Please do not add to their already obnoxious habits.” Harry raised his brows at the almost pleading sound in the man's voice.

“Thank you professor.” Harry said “now then, everyone find a group and get to know one another, we have time after lunch to discuss what our first focus is so use your time wisely. We’ll meet during the weekends for two hours in the morning. Do  _ not _ let the headmaster know we’re doing this. If anyone else wants to join, then send them to Malfoy, who will sort them out based on year.” 

The group clapped as Harry bowed and sat on the floor. Snape dismissed them and stalked out of the room. Harry watched as students of all different houses split off into smaller groups and introduced themselves. Draco was surrounded by five Muggleborns who were asking various questions. What Harry would have reacted to with horror and social anxiety, Draco reacted with excitement, Daphne was equally excited as she asked the Muggleborns and Half-bloods in her own group questions, Blaise was amused by the questions and acted as if he weren’t bothered at all. 

Neville Longbottom on the other hand looked stressed. Harry watched as he was bombarded with question after question, never given a chance to speak, the first years around him too hyper for him to handle. So he stood up, walked over, and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“One at a time guys, we’re wizards, not superheroes with super hearing.” the group quieted as one and Neville gave him a thankful look. “Alright, now line up, introduce yourselves, and then ask a question. I’ll go first.” he said and stuck his hand out to Neville. “Well met heir Longbottom, I’m Harry Potter, a half-blood in the house of Slytherin.” 

“Well met heir Potter, I am Neville Longbottom, heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom.” Neville took his hand and shook firmly. Harry blushed at the title and shook his head.

“I’m not actually heir yet.” he said and Neville also took on a pink hue to his cheeks. “I wasn’t named heir at birth and can’t take the title until I reach fifteen.” Neville looked up at him in shock. 

“What? But the typical age is thirteen.” he exclaimed. Harry shrugged and turned back to the group. 

“That is how you would greet someone from a pureblood family. Many of you would use the titles of mister and miss but purebloods use heir and heiress. I am not currently the heir to my house so I would be considered Mr. Potter.” the others nodded. “That being said, heirs like Neville would introduce themselves with their house titles, for example if I were an heir I would say. I’m Harry Potter, heir to the Noble house of Potter.” 

“What are the titles for?” one of them asked. Harry raised a brow and the girl blushed and stuck out her hand. “Megan Jones, Muggleborn in the house of Hufflepuff.” she said awkwardly. Neville shook her hand with a smile and returned the greeting. 

“I should help out with the others.” Harry said while turning to walk away. “Lunch time is just around the corner and I’d like a peaceful meal.” Neville nodded and turned back to his group. Harry sighed and sat in one of the loveseats near a large open window. 

“Well done Potter.” said a voice next to him. He peeked his eyes open to find one of the twins staring at him. He could never tell which was which. After their initial introduction they had never said their names individually. But this one’s eyes were brighter with a green hue towards the middle of his eyes. 

“So which one are you?” he asks nonchalantly. The twin smirks and shakes his head. “I see, well then, I guess I’ll have to tell Peeves you’re free game then.” their eyes widen and he starts to stand. “Oh you better hurry, I’m leaving.” he singsonged while walking away.

“I’m Fred!” he says loudly, yanking him back down on the sofa. George stops talking to his group to stare at them and Harry laughs. 

“I wasn’t actually going to tell Peeves.” he admits. “I have no desire to speak to them.”

“But you- and the whole- y’know?” he says flailing his arms about.

“Just because I can use shadow speak to make things do my bidding doesn't mean I will actually use it.” 

“How rude Mr. Potter.” Fred huffed. Harry grinned at the redhead in response. “I feel we may be rubbing off on you.” 

“Nah, this is normal for me, at least with friends.” Fred perked up expectantly and Harry pointed to Draco. “Sometimes when he isn’t looking I’ll steal his quill and clip it at an odd angle.” he then points to Blaise “I share a room with him, so I sometimes change the color of his sheets, when he asks I always say the elves did it. My sheets never change so he’s always confused.” 

“What a benign thing to do. Absolutely useless but completely brilliant.” Harry snorted. “How long have you been doing it?”

“Since the fifth day of school,” he said cheekily. “They’ve been going completely mad. Draco checks his quills three times before he uses it. And poor Blaise is still looking for a reason that the elves are changing his sheets.” Fred looks at him in awe.

“You my friend are a genius. But how do you know they won’t get used to it?” he asks in anticipation.

“I change something each time. For Draco it's the cut of the quill, or a few missing barbs, sometimes I’ll change its color just to see how he’ll react. For Blaise I’ll change only a few items. It could be his comforter and sheets one day, his pillowcase another, or the curtains. Those are the best because that means he did something to them that the elves had to clean.” 

“That is so childish, and infuriating, but the best long standing prank I’ve heard in awhile. How long will you do it for?”

“Until they figure out it’s me obviously.” Fred gave him a grin and clapped his shoulder. The bell signaling lunch tolled and Harry stood up. “Alright everyone! After lunch we will reconvene and put some topics to a vote. Have a nice lunch everyone.” 

The students all said their farewells to their instructors and left the room in a neat line. The instructors stayed behind and sat at the large circular table that Diggory transfigured for them. Harry sat down quietly and put his head in his hand.

“Alright so what were some suggestions?” draco asked, standing up and grabbing a piece of chalk to write on the board, he turned to Neville who had his hand raised slightly. 

“We were thinking et- etiquette was a good st- starter. N- not a lot of people know how t- to act appropriately in a formal environment. Things l- like luncheon and balls were discussed t- to be a potential problem.” Draco nodded and wrote it down on the board. He turned to see Clearwater. 

“Laws and Regulations. A lot of them come from muggle backgrounds so they are more accustomed to the muggle laws. They’re used to a more rounded justice system, different punishments for different crimes, and they have a few more freedoms than we do.” she said with a frown. 

“True, a lot of people are sent to Azkaban for even the smallest crime, that would never slide in the muggle world.” 

“Perhaps a study on how to change laws in accordance to the wizengamot?” Bole suggested. Draco wrote both ideas down and looked around. The twins both had their hands raised.

“Holidays, beliefs, practices, the important stuff.” George said.

“The things that are currently changing should be important to teach early on.” Fred tacked on. Harry raised his own hand and all turned to stare at him.

“The difference between Magiks that are Dark, light, good, and evil.” Many of them stared in shock but Draco wrote it down. “I find that the prejudices against dark magic are abhorrent. Dark does not mean evil, and light does not mean good. I know many good people who use dark magic.” There were a few nods around the table. Then Diggory spoke up.

“How would you describe magic? In a way that others might understand.” Harry hummed as the door slid open slightly. A hiss caught everyone’s attention as Regiis slid up to Harry. Daphne turned pale, Blaise avoided eye contact, and Draco stood extremely still. 

“Ah yes, Regiis is right, how could I have forgotten?” the others deadpanned when Harry didn’t translate. “Oh, right, um… Magic is just that, there is no dark magic or light magic, it is neither good nor evil. Some magic is easy to use, doesn't tax the users energy or magic reserves, and is overall light in that it puts less strain on your core.” he looks around to see if anyone was confused and found that they were actually intrigued more than anything.

“Some magic can be a little more taxing, they tire you out over time, are more complex than your standard two worded spells, and use your core more than light magic. I’d say it’s a neutral weight. It’s a little harder to use but overall helpful in its own way.” 

“So then, what about Dark magic? Why is it called that?” Neville asked.

“It was a mistranslation. The old ways used the word to mean heavy. A dark spell was a heavy spell. It was taxing on the individual, often made them pass out, took hours to cast, and generally put their core in a stasis like state until they were restored. Rituals like a cleansing one could wipe out a single person. But the use of multiple people made it less likely to mess up. That's why it's important to do ritualistic celebrations with friends and family.”

“That makes a lot of sense actually.” Diggory said, impressed. “How did you get this information? You are a half-blood are you not? I thought you were sent to live with your muggle relatives.” Harry stared into the older boy’s eyes. Looking for any sort of deception but all he could find was genuine curiosity. He stood up from his seat and bowed.

“I apologize for deceiving you all. But what I am about to say must never leave this room. If you do not wish for the burden of a secret then I ask you to leave the room for a moment.” There was a pause and then Clearwater and Bole stood up to leave.

“Apologies Potter but I don’t trust myself not to say anything.” Clearwater said and Bole nodded. 

“That is fine, I was aware that would be the case, I am glad you told me rather than stayed only to spill my secret.” The two smiled and walked out the door. The door slammed shut and locked itself. Harry sighed and stared at the others. 

“Draco already knows my secret and was told explicitly not to tell anyone. I know him better than anyone else in the room. So by staying I’m putting my trust in you that you won’t tell anyone.” There were a few stern nods around the room.

“Then let me reintroduce myself.” he said standing up straight. “My name is Harrison James Potter-LeFay. Heir to the Most Ancient and Prestigious House of LeFay. It is an honor to officially meet you.” he bowed. A bell tolled and the room filled with magic. Harry looked around confused and looked around to see everyone with a gold chain wrapped around their wrist. “What just happened?” he asked slowly.

“I think the castle just forced a vow of secrecy on us.” The twins mumbled. “Wicked!” they yelled together.

“Oh…” Harry said amazed.  _ This castle is a bit odd isn’t it? _ Noct said suddenly. “Who knew sentient castles could do something like that?” 

No one knew what to say. All of them looked a bit perturbed by the news that they were just placed into a vow. Well, everyone except Daphne, she looked a bit too starry eyed. Harry looked at the board to see Draco had written more ideas and looked absolutely neutral in all of this. 

“So that’s my secret. I’m the LeFay heir, my mother was actually a half-blood that came from a long line of pureblooded squibs. One of them happened to be from the LeFay branch family.” he shrugged and gave them an awkward half smile.

“Oh no, no way mister, you don’t get to shrug this off.” Daphne said, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. “The LeFay family is one of the oldest in the whole wizarding world! Morgana LeFay was well known throughout the  _ entire planet. _ ” she stressed. 

“Yeah, they’re as old as the founders.” Blaise said with interest. “You could have a lot of power in the wizengamot.” Harry sighed and waved him off.

“I can’t do anything with that power unless the lord of my house allows it.” 

“There’s a lord!?” Daphne squealed. “And he’s still alive?” Harry nodded slowly. “Everyone thought they died out during the war.” she said in awe. 

“Uh, well not exactly, Fulgur, that is, Lord LeFay went into hiding.” at the confused look he elaborated. “The LeFay’s have a strain of magic that a lot of people sought out. It was powerful enough that it could win the war for both sides. But the LeFay are known neutralists who avoid conflict when they can. So he hid in the LeFay manor which is someplace only they can go.” he said, trying his best not to talk about the fae realm. 

“Makes sense,” George said. “They were incredible healers. Morgana was known as the dark enchantress, queen of Avalon, and a powerful healer. The first to ever become an animagus as well. It makes sense that any of her descendents would be equally if not more powerful.” he eyed Harry with a knowing smile and Harry shot back a weak glare. 

“You think maybe the LeFay were parselmouths and that's why Harry can speak to snakes?” Zabini asked. Harry rolled his eyes and huffed.

“They were not,” he admitted “but they could speak to animals in general. Came with the whole special magic stuff. All of them are known animagi and most of them are birds.” 

“But can Lord LeFay speak parseltongue?” Daphne pressed.

“No.” he stated bluntly. “He can understand Regiis as well as I but he can’t speak the serpent language. Now, lunch is almost over and I’d like to eat, anymore questions?” he asked sweetly. All of them wisely shook their heads and packed up. They met Clearwater and Bole outside and instructed them to meet back up after lunch. Harry had never been more anxious. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“Look Justin, all I’m saying is that it only matters what’s on the inside, who cares if you end up ugly or handsome? Most people today are a bunch of harlequin looking twits. Not including you of course.” 

“Oh yeah? Name one thing that’s better on the inside.”

“A refrigerator.” 

“I… tuche.” 

Harry smiled at the Hufflepuff he chose to sit next to that day. Of course, he wasn’t actually Harry, but rather Noct. Though it’s best to think of them as a whole rather than two separate individuals. It makes both of them extremely uncomfortable. 

Ernie sat down next to them with a grin and handed them a basket with the plant they were tasked to repot. It was a simple seed pod with odd tentacle like appendages on the bottom. Some would be confused as to what it is but Harry knew. Puffapods were to be handled carefully, as it would sprout if it came into contact with a hard surface, so it was best to use a delicate hand. 

Harry took a flower head with the seed pod still intact and very gently placed it into a small divot in his potting soil. Then he gave it a flick and watched the seed pod break open and the beans hit the soil. Large blooms of purple and fuschia filled his pot to the brim. Professor Sprout startled from her walk around the greenhouse to take a look. Others dropped their seeds on the ground at the popping sound the blooms made. 

“Very good Mr. Potter. Take five points for Slytherin.” she said with a smile before gently consoling a puff who dropped their seed on the ground.

“How are you so good at this?” Ernie asked. Harry smirked at him and potted another seed.

“That’s a secret I’m not liable to tell. But I can tell you one thing.” he whispered. 

“The top shelf of the herbology section in the library has a special tips book. If you find it, there is a special password that will give you access to hand written notes by professor sprout herself.” he winked and went silent as the professor came around. 

The class went by faster than ever after that. The repetitive motion of planting the seed pods was the easiest thing he’d ever done. So his mind wandered to other things. Like tomorrow…

Tomorrow would be the first Halloween he’d experience while knowing how his parents died. Was he sad? Kind of. But it’s hard to be sad over something that happened when you were just a baby. He’s a little miffed that his parents were killed by a sociopath. But he’s honestly not too bothered.

Should he be? The thought of mourning people you never knew was odd to him. Sure he knew of them, knew things that made him upset, proud, annoyed, sometimes disgusted in his father’s case. But he didn’t  _ know _ them.

His thoughts were interrupted as his hand hit the bottom of the basket. Justin was looking at him concerned. Harry looked around to see no one else there and blinked at the sudden emptiness. 

“Ah welcome back to the land of the living dear.” Sprout said with a knowing look. Harry’s face heated up and he apologized softly. “I too get lost in my thoughts during the methodical trance of planting and replanting. Nothing to be ashamed of. Now run along, don’t want you missing lunch, or would you rather stay?” there was a glint in her eye that he’d seen in Dovetale and he shook his head quickly. She chuckled and shooed them off.

Harry followed Justin back into the halls and thanked him for waiting. Ernie had gone ahead when Harry hadn’t responded but Justin felt the need to stay behind. Harry grunted as his face slammed into the back of someone taller than him. He looked up to see Ron Weasley turn around confused. Then the redhead growled.

“You.” he said with annoyance. 

“Me.” Harry said back. 

“First you have all the Hufflepuffs against me,” he accuses “now my own brothers?” Harry blinked.

“I’m sorry what?” he asked confused, which only seemed to aid the anger simmering under the boy’s skin.

“They told me to shut up about you. That you were some amazing person with great ideas. Some perfect model student. And I’m sick of it!” he complained. “Harry Potter this, Harry Potter that, golden boy and teachers pet. Does everything right the first time.” he said in a mocking voice and waving his wand around wildly. 

Harry looked at Justin with a questioning look. The boy just shrugged back not knowing what to think. Why the hell is Ron so antagonistic unless…

“Are-” Harry paused “Are you jealous?” the air dropped in temperature as the question left his lips. Harry almost regretted asking but the look of pure shock on the redheads face was worth it. 

Ron’s wand shot forward and Harry dodged a hex that came his way. Justin shouted an indignant “hey!” from his spot in the hall. Harry jumped over another burst of light as he shoved Justin out of the way. Then he pulled off his ring and cast a hex back. Ron jumped and grabbed his behind with a squeak. He turned his head to see a cat tail sprouting out of him. 

Then Harry was jumping around the corridor, dodging hex after hex, jinx after jinx. It was the most exciting thing he’d had to do in a while. Then he turned quick on his heel and shouted.

“Titillando!” a beam of light hit Ron square in the chest and Harry watched as he went down laughing. He was rolling on the floor giggling like mad as Harry walked back over. He bent over and watched the boy desperately trying to catch his breath, face turning red, lungs probably collapsing. Unable to get any oxygen into his system. 

“Hey!” came a shout from behind him. He quickly broke the hex and watched Ron breath in a gasp of air. The back of his shirt was yanked and he gagged as his necktie tightened around his throat. “What did I say about magic in the halls?” Harry sighed in defeat. He was hoping to avoid Filch altogether but his luck was bound to run out eventually.

“Sorry caretaker Filch.” he mumbled.

“You will be when I’m through with you. You and the Weasley boy.” Ron glared at the man while gasping for air. Harry was resigned to his fate and let the man drag him and Ron to Snape’s office. 

The halls passed by in a blur of indifference. He didn’t care that he was probably getting detention. It was honestly worth it if he were honest. He did nothing to the kid and yet he was being treated so rudely. Damn jealous lout. 

“Argus,” the low timbre of Snape’s voice made him relax as Ron’s hackles rose. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“I found these two attacking each other in the halls.” the caretaker said with unrestrained disgust. 

“I see, you may go, I will find a suitable punishment for them.” Filch tensed for a moment before dropping them on the floor and grumbling on his way out the door. Harry picked himself up off the floor and dusted the dirt of his clothes. Ron struggled to get up. “What exactly happened?” the dour man asked.

“He nearly bloody killed me!” Ron exclaimed. 

“I didn’t  _ nearly _ kill you. It was a tickling charm you daft buffoon. You would have killed yourself.” Ron gaped at him before reaching out to attack him. Harry rolled his eyes when he instead fell to the floor from a tripping hex Harry set before. 

“As amusing as this is, by which it is not, I want to know why you were casting hexes at all.” Snape sneered. 

“Because someone doesn’t know how to get their head out of their arse?” Harry offered. 

“Says you!” Ron scowled “Mister perfect here is turning everyone against me!” 

“Like I’d even need to try.” Harry ground out. “I get it, you're jealous that I’m capable of amazing magic, stop taking it out on your housemates and move on.” Ron went to reply but Snape cut him off.

“So you’re telling me that the reason Mr. Weasley attacked you is because he’s jealous of your magical prowess?” Snape looked to be so completely done with life. He was exasperated beyond belief and Harry could feel it radiate from where he stood. 

“More or less.” Harry replied bluntly. Snape dropped his head into his hands and let out a long suffering sigh. 

“You are both imbeciles.” he pointed to Ron. “you need to let go of your stupid grudge. You’re a first year with a hand me down wand. No one expects you to be some sort of god. And you-” he points to Harry “Shouldn’t have retaliated at all. A tickling hex for so long could actually kill him. He would asphyxiate and die, just as you said he would, but the magic would be tracked back to you. Are you willing to suffer the consequences?” he asked sternly. 

Harry bowed his head as if cowed and shook it. Of course he doesn’t actually want to kill anyone. He wasn’t going to actually hurt the kid. He just wanted to scare him a little. Though a tickling hex was probably not the best way to go about it. He probably should’ve just had Regiis scare him or something. Yeah, his snake was great at that, great at eating things too… 

“Onto punishments…” the potions master sneered. He looked at the stack of papers on his desk for a moment before a cruel smirk grew on his face. “The groundskeeper Hagrid has asked for assistance in the forbidden forest. I think sending you there might actually scare some tact into the two of you.”

“What!? But the forest is forbidden! It’s in the name!”

“Yes Mr. Weasley, how very observant of you. This is a punishment, the woods themselves are a punishment for anyone who walks in, as long as you stand by Hagrid you’ll be fine. I think.” 

Ron blanched and mouthed the last two words from the professor in shock. Harry leveled a curious eye on the man. What would he find in there? Or was this just to spook him? Obviously he wouldn’t send them into true danger but Harry’s danger radar was going off in intervals. 

They were dismissed and Harry watched Ron rush down the halls for lunch. He walked into the abandoned classroom and found the real Harry sitting there with a book. The mirror was clamped shut and sitting on the table. He sat down next to the original and let himself be sucked back in.

Harry jumped in shock at the bombardment of information coming from Noct. He shook his head to rid his headache and scowled. A detention. Really?  _ I won’t apologize. _ Harry sighed and stood up. He packed his things and rushed to lunch. Draco looked at him curiously then at Ron who was fuming in his seat.

“I’ll tell you the details later. Let's just say we both have detention tonight.” Draco rolled his eyes and went back to eating.

* * *

  
  
  


“Oh there ye are boys.” came the friendly voice of Hagrid. Harry stared at the half-giant for a second longer than comfortable before waving back. “I’m Hagrid, keeper o’ the keys, an’ groundskeeper o’ hogwarts.” 

“Nice to meet you Hagrid. I’m Harry and this is Ron.” Harry gestured between the two of them and shook the large man’s hand. Ron scowled at him and pushed him out of the way to shake Hagrids hand. 

“Come on now boys. Don’t be fight’n while we in th’ woods. Dangerous creatures out there. Don't wan’ either of ye gettin’ picked off now do we?” Ron paled and shook his head. “Oh right.” he pulled a large dog from behind him and gave it a pat on the head. “This is Fang, if I can’t protect ya th’n he can. Stick by him an’ you’ll be jus’ fine.” 

Harry shrugged and pet the dog. Regiis poked his head out from his robes and looked at the dog. Then he looked up at Hagrid with bright green eyes. The large man’s eyes widened and he took a step closer. 

“What an odd lookin’ feller. What breed is ‘e?” He asked. He lifted his hand up to Regiis who booped his nose against one large finger. 

“Quetzalcoatl sir.” Hagrid pulled his hand back quickly as if Regiis might bite him. Harry frowned and placed a soothing hand against Regiis’ head. The poor snake felt saddened by the quick retreat. “Something wrong?” he asked.

“Them are dangerous serpents Harry. Most venomous o’ the bunch. Rather large too but this one’s jus’ a baby. More dangerous when they’re young.” Harry looked at Regiis then back to Hagrid and laughed a little. 

“He’s fully grown Hagrid. He’s just shrunk down so he can travel with me.” Ron was staring at the snake with pure fear on his face. Hagrid seemed interested again. 

“Tha’s interestin’ init?” He stood back up to full height and patted down his coat. “Well we been sittin’ here fer a while now. Best be gettin’ in the forest.” he said, sauntering towards the forest. It was then that Harry noticed the weapon on Hagrid’s back. 

“Hagrid,” he said, catching the man’s attention. “What are we doing out there?” 

“Somethin’s been killin’ th’ unicorns ‘round here.” he stated “We’re gonna try ‘nd find it. ‘N hopefully kill it.” Harry’s eyes narrowed and he looked around as they breached the forest entrance. It was dark, not blindingly dark, but dark enough to need a lumos to see. Hagrid had his lantern sure, but Harry actually wanted to see what's attacking them, so he lit up the forest around them and looked around. 

Regiis was tense around his neck. The serpent being the only thing grounding him. The magic in this forest felt frigid, as if it were telling him to leave, that it wasn't safe. He knew Ron could feel it too as the redhead looked around at every little snap of twigs. Whatever was here wasn’t welcome and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be here to find out what  _ it _ is. 

Further down the trail Hagrid stopped walking. He looked down at the ground and leaned over. His fingers were brought up to the light and Harry cringed. They were covered in silver blood. It looked fresh, which meant it was recent, the unicorn was probably close by. 

“We should split up.” the man said. Ron made a noise not dissimilar to a dying cat. “One of yeh go wit’ Fang. The oth’r stay by me.” he said seriously. Harry nodded and grabbed the dog. Don’t get him wrong, Hagrid seemed like a great guy, but he trusted the instincts of an animal more than anything. Plus he had Regiis to protect him.  _ And me _ . Noct supplied. Right, and he could summon his body double. 

The two pairs split off and Harry skirted the path, following the magic that seemed to push him away, as if it knew he was coming closer to his death. Which it was probably right in all honesty. But despite the fact he knew he could die, he still wanted to find whatever it was that hunted the unicorn, it was as if his body moved on his own. Stuck in a compulsive trance. 

He followed the trail of cold magic further into the forest. Not once did he break his stride even after he twisted his ankle on a root. He just knew he needed to keep going. To find whatever was out there. Noct was panicking slightly, unsure as to why his host was willingly walking into danger, unprepared to fight at all. 

Then he stumbled across it. The unicorn's body laid motionless on the ground, blood pooling around it, a mass of black hunched over its corpse. The mass shifted and Harry could see gleaming red eyes staring back at him.  _ Run _ . He stood his ground and stared back. 

“You know,” he began “drinking unicorn blood is the stupidest thing you could possibly do.” The mass hissed and lunged for him. Swiping at him and barely missing by an inch. Harry didn’t move from his spot. The figure towered over him looking into his eyes. “Do you know how hard it is to reverse the curse placed on you from consuming its blood?” he asked with a smirk. Noct was banging against his mind, confined to watch the scene play out before him, and no matter how hard he screamed Harry couldn’t hear him. The wand he was holding went back to its ring form and Harry let himself stand loosely.

“It’s easy if you have the blood of a human afterwards.” The figure reared up and reached out to touch them. Noct yelled one last time and slammed his hands against the barrier. There was a cracking sound and suddenly he was moving. 

Harry gasped as he ducked under the hand about to touch him. He stumbled away from the figure, shaking his head to clear the haze in his mind, and turned to run. The figure grabbed onto the back of his robes and yanked. Harry didn’t have time to summon his wand and flicked one of his fingers behind him with the thought to cut.

The figure hissed in pain and let go. Harry stumbled forward and took off in a mad sprint. He could faintly hear the figure get its barings before running after him. Branches cracked under his feet, leaves crunched from behind him, the moon lit up his path. In the back of his mind he could faintly hear Noct screeching his relief. What just happened to him? What kind of trance was that? Regiis hissed at the figure wildly. Unsure if he should attack or stay put. 

Distantly there was a sound of hooves hitting the hard earth. He ducked under a log and watched the figure fly overhead. Looking as if it were trying to grab him. It swiveled on its feet and turned to stalk towards him. He placed a protective hand on Regiis and backed up as far as he could until his back met a fallen tree stump. He cursed as the figure got closer. His legs were wobbly, ankle in fiery hot pain, eyes unfocused. There was a pounding in his head that screamed loudly as the figure came closer. 

Then a shadow flew over him and landed before the figure. A centaur reared up on its hind legs and kicked wildly as it drew its bow. The figure hissed dangerously before huffing and fleeing into the woods. Harry gasped in relief as the pain went away. He could faintly hear the hooves of the centaur trot up to him. A hand reached his vision and Harry latched onto it. 

He felt himself being pulled up and nearly slumped back down when he put pressure on his ankle. He hissed out a curse and heard an amused chuckle from the centaur. He glared weakly and shook his head to clear it. When he looked back up he was face to face with the male centaur. 

“Harry Potter.” he said softly.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.” Harry grumbled. 

“You don’t seem surprised to see me.” he stated. “How strange.” 

“Well, when the twins told me they found a herd of centaur in the forest I was skeptical, but now I’m more than thankful to know you do live here.” Harry said with a tired smile. 

“Yes I supposed it is a good thing. I am Firenze just so you know.” 

“I would bow but I don’t think I could hold myself upright if I tried.” this earned an amused laugh from the centaur. 

“No, I don't think you could either, you have many scratches and a sprained ankle, but that is to be expected when you are being chased by a wraith possessed wizard.” He replied. He began to walk away and Harry slowly ambled after him. 

“Wraith huh?” Firenze nodded “I’m going to guess it wasn’t some sort of random attack.”

“Other than the fact that you provoked it? No it was not random. Other beings would shy away when the light hits them. But I believe this one has an agenda against you.” Harry sighed and shook his head.

“Let me guess, Voldemort never actually died, he’s a wraith possessing one of my teachers, and now he’s after me. That sound about right?” Firenze let out a thunderous laugh and placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

“What a young spitfire you are Potter. Yes that was the man you supposedly killed. How despicable to be feasting on the lifeblood of such a pure creature.” Harry nodded in agreement and looked to the stars, A few were brighter that night. “A star reader as well young spitfire?” Harry frowned and shook his head.

“No, I don’t believe I am, I just find them calming.” Firenze gave him a soft smile and continued to guide him through the forest. 

“Mars has been awfully bright recently.” he said. Then he turned his own head towards the stars and stared in mild shock. “But it seems that Venus has overtaken it’s brilliance tonight. But for how long will it last?” Harry narrowed his eyes and stared towards the bright planet in the sky. He was right, Mars was bright, but Venus was even brighter. He looked at Firenze once more before vowing to look up the importance of those planets. 

He wasn’t merely as good at astrology as Draco. He chose to forgo the astronomy test that Snape had given him. It wasn’t something he was able to be taught by Fulgur. The sky in the fae realm was constantly stuck in twilight. So the stars were never fully out. 

Firenze paused as the two of them came upon Hagrid and Ron. Harry smiled at Hagrid who stopped whatever he was doing to stare at Harry and Firenze. Then he dropped his crossbow and ran over to Harry.

“Merlin Harry who di this to yeh?” he said looking over the scratches on Harry’s arms and face. “Oh I shouldn’ ‘ave let yeh come. Too dangerous, but I couldn’ ‘ave told Snape no.” 

“The young spitfire is fine Hagrid.” Firenze said. “He came into contact with the being killing the Unicorns. I suggest getting him seen by your healer.” Hagrid looked like he wanted to say something but held off. He lifted Harry over his shoulder and gave the centaur a stern nod. 

“Come along Ron. ‘Ave to get ‘arry ter the hospital wing.” he said gruffly. He leaned down and picked up the crossbow. Then he started walking to the castle. Harry heard more hooves trotting through the woods and watched as two more centaurs spoke to Firenze. He hopes he didn’t get the centaur in trouble with his herd.

He yawned and leaned against Hagrid. He could take a small nap till he got to the hospital wing. Yeah, a small nap, and then he’ll wake up and tell Snape what he encountered. Yep that's totally what will happen. But he knows deep down he wasn't waking up for the rest of the night. Even as he slips his eyes closed for just a tiny nap.


	12. The troll is most definitely not in the dungeon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ve changed my mind Potter. You are as suicidal as you are intelligent. One of these days I won’t be able to hold myself back from wringing your neck.” he seethed. Harry gave a sadistic grin and slowly lifted himself from his seat. 
> 
> “Is that a threat professor?” he challenged with a playful smirk.
> 
> “It’s a promise.” the professor growled.

Harry woke up to the sun shining in his eyes. Not the most pleasant feeling he had to admit. Waking up to the cool tones of water in his shared bedroom was much better than pure sunlight. He glared at the white vaulted ceilings above him and cursed himself.

Of course he wouldn’t have woken up last night. Not after the stress he put himself into. What was he thinking!? Ugh he was so stupid! Good idea Harry, offer yourself as a blood sacrifice to the dark lord, right after he consumed unicorn blood. What kind of idiot does that? 

“Ah Mr. Potter,” said an all too familiar voice. Harry looked at madam Pomfrey with a withering glare. She only laughed slightly before placing a bowl of soup in front of him “I know that look well. You’re just as tired as myself in finding you here.”

“It’s not like I  _ try _ to end up here. It just keeps happening.” he grumbled to himself. He shoved a spoon of chicken soup in his mouth and glared at nothing in particular. Regiis slipped up from under the sheets with a mighty yawn. 

“Oh good morning Regiis.” the mediwitch said with a smile. Harry looked at her oddly. “It is well known that those with familiar’s heal faster when they are together. So I couldn’t just keep him from you.” Harry nodded then frowned. “Something wrong dear?”

“Not really I-” he pursed his lips and stared into the broth of his soup. “I have another familiar. She typically keeps me calm when I need it.” he says, Regiis boops his nose against Harrys head, hoping to sooth his partner.

“I see, it’s very rare to have two familiars Mr. Potter, I hope she doesn’t mind being cooped up wherever she is.” Harry hummed then jumped as an envelope was placed in front of him. “An owl dropped this off for you earlier this morning. It looks rather important with a seal like that.” she says pointing to the LeFay coat of arms on the wax seal. 

Harry yanks it up to himself in a protective way. Pomfrey laughs and walks away with a smile. She hadn’t opened the letter. Which is a good thing.  _ I don't think she will, _ Noct speaks up. He’s been rather quiet this entire time.  _ I used a lot of my power breaking your mind shields last night. You weren’t responding to me and I got scared. _ Harry paused and let that thought simmer in his mind. 

He was scared, incredibly so, yet he walked into danger as if it were a regular saturday afternoon. Something wasn’t right with him. He never did that before. When did it change? He sipped some more of his soup as he stewed on the question.

It wasn’t after his initial hospital visit. No, he woke up and acted as normal, so that wasn’t it. It didn’t happen after his meeting with Marvolo. So when? Noct dug around in his memories, pulling them forward, one after the other. Then one caught his attention.  _ THERE _ . They thought in unison. Albus Dumbledore was there after his panic attack. Snape had been there during it only to leave when the old man told him to. That had to be the time.

“That bastard.” he growled. “He did something to me.” He glared in the general direction of the headmaster’s office and seethed. Of course it had to be him. It was always him. He stared at the letter and pried it open. Neat cursive script met his eyes in a soothing display of words. 

**_“Dear Harry,_ **

**_It pleases me to know that you are moving up in your classes. It is also wonderful to hear that you’ve made up with Draco. I am however, perturbed, by the news of this curse. How long has it been in effect? I fear the goblins might not be able to help if it has been longer than a year._ **

**_My schedule has been full and it took me a little while to notice your letter on my desk. There is much work to be done for Samhain. Our queen is getting antsy as it is the first time she will be communing with the spirits since her childhood. The oracle has also gained her attention. Something has changed and they spoke of a new prophecy in the works._ **

**_I received your gift a little too late unfortunately. But I do not mind as the two realms have differing times. It is beautiful by the way. The note said you sent them the design. Does that mean you’ve taken up an art? If so then I can give you tips or books if I myself don’t have the knowledge. It also said it was a matching pair. A bird and a snake, and seeing as I have the snake, I assume you have the bird._ **

**_As for your magic, I would suggest releasing it every once in a while, stagnant magic can be volatile at best and destructive at worst. If the shadows are bothering you then I would put your cloak on for a little while. Maybe shadowstep if you need to. Just don’t let it go stagnant._ **

**_The amaryllis is fine by the way. I know how to take care of plants just fine thank you. Now back to that curse. I want you to inform me if anything changes. Mood swings, magic outbursts, voices inside your head, weird skips of time you don't recall, strange feelings of being in a trance. I want it all written down for me so I can let the goblins know._ **

**_I will get you the help you need. I promise to do whatever I can for you. Even if it costs me my life._ **

**_May mother magic bless you,_ **

**_~Fulgur LeFay_ **

**_Lord of the Most Ancient and Prestigious House of LeFay.”_ **

Harry put the letter down fondly. Oh how little Fulgur knew of his current life. All the things he told Harry to report on has happened. All but the time skips at least. He frowned and ate the last of his soup. Regiis wrapped around him tightly as if to give him a hug. 

“Alright Mr. Potter, your scratches were healed up last night, and the sprain in your ankle looks fine. Don't do anything too strenuous or else you’ll make it worse.” Harry nodded absently and looked out the window. The sun was already fading from the sky. How long did he sleep for? “You’re free to go.” Pofrey said with a smile. 

Harry returned it and grabbed his letter before sliding off the bed. He tested his ankle and grinned when the sharp pain from before didn’t shoot up his leg. The thanked the mediwitch and left the room with Regiis wrapped tightly around his neck. The portraits all watched him as he walked through the halls. Their beady eyes following his every move. 

He stepped up to the potions classroom and leaned in through the door. The upper years were working on a potion in complete silence. He walked by them quietly and sauntered up to Snape's desk. The potions master looked up from his paperwork and eyed him for a moment. Then he gestured towards the office lazily. Harry smiled innocently and slipped into the office with ease.

Harry waited a few minutes for Snape to come in. Muffled instructions billowed in through the slightly ajar door. He heard the students give an affirmative before flinching as the door was slammed open. Snape came in with a concerned expression. Along with it, a look of rage, but not towards him. 

“What was he thinking?” the man demanded. He searched Harry for any lingering cuts or bruises. “Taking students out for creature hunting. The imbecile should have been fired years ago.” 

“Well technically you sent us out there.” Harry countered. Snape turned his glare to him and huffed in annoyance.

“That was because he didn’t specify that he was hunting dangerous creatures.” He shot back with a glower. “It simply stated that he wished for company in the forest. He usually goes out to gather ingredients for me so I suspected that’s what he was doing.”

Harry sighed outwardly. This conversation wasn’t going the way he planned it. He just wanted to come in, tell Snape about Voldemort, and leave so he can find out what he missed. 

“What did happen?” Snape suddenly urged. Harry looked back at him in shock. Hagrid hadn’t told anyone?

“No one told you?” he inquired suspiciously.

“Not in detail no. It’s like they believe I’ll use it against you. I may not be the nicest person but I’m not heartless.” he spat.

“Oh…” Harry looked at the portrait behind the desk and leered. The person sitting in it jumped slightly before rushing out of the painting. “Promise you won’t be upset?” He pleaded with a strained smile. The question only seemed to make Snape scowl harder. “Nevermind just forget I even asked. I’ll go tell Flitwick instead.” he threatened while hopping off his seat. 

He didn’t get far as Snape yanked him back from the door and leveled him with a glare that could kill. There was a look of conflict in the man’s eyes. As if he were fighting some kind of inner battle. 

“Honestly Potter you remind me far too much of your father.” Harry lowered his eyes to the floor with a frown. “You look like him, sound similar, sometimes you even act like him.” the professor went on. “But-” he grit his teeth. “You also remind me of your mother. Smart, cunning, independent, and so very stubborn.” 

“You say that as if you loved her.” Harry mumbled. Snape went rigid for a moment. Then the tension in his features faded to a melancholic look. 

“I did, unhealthily so. I was jealous of your father.” he admitted. “The man was a bully in my younger years. Treated people as if they were below him. And then his posse would come to back him up.”

“I’ve heard,” Harry sneered “The only person who had good things to say was McGonagall.”

“But of course she would.” Snape scoffed. “Despite being told the stories of their misdeeds, she protects them under house loyalty, they were her cubs after all.” He stared at Harry with a contemplative look. “And while I approve of house loyalty, I don't believe it should be upheld after graduation, it is foolish to cling onto one thing from your childhood.” 

“I agree, now what were you saying about jealousy?” Harry urged. Might as well get information while he’s here.

“Your father managed to attract your mother’s attention. Despite his cruelness she found something in him to like. And I will admit, your father changed for the better, but only after she expressed her affection.” 

“And you thought it unfair because you knew her better.” Harry tacked on. 

“Well… yes I suppose. I didn’t help our relationship all that much though.” He admitted. Harry narrowed his eyes when Snape didn’t explain. The man had a look of regret smeared across his face. As if he’d committed a horrible act.

“What exactly did you do?” he hissed.

“I- I was pressured into it. Slytherins then were just as bad if not worse than they are now.” Harry stared at the professor unblinking.

“You didn’t.”

“I did.” 

Harry clenched his teeth. This man. This horrible man grew up with her. Walked by her side, taught her about magic, and stayed her friend for years. Knew how she felt about every single thing people had against muggleborns. Yet he threw it all aside.

“Because of a little pressure?” Harry croaked.

“Harry you don’t understand.” he pleaded. “They were threatening to de-house me.” 

“Then you should’ve fought back!” Harry screeched. “I did! Now look at me!” he gestured to himself. “The only people who threaten me are Parkinson and Flint. Flint even less so because he knows I’d fight back.” 

“They would still kick me out if I fought!” Snape snapped back. “It didn’t matter who was the strongest, if you even showed the slightest bit of sympathy, for muggleborns or muggles in general, you were gone.” 

“Then you should have left with your head held high.” Harry growled. Snape's eyes widened as magic permeated the room. The shadows solidified and writhed around Harry. Each slowly reaching out to touch him before fading as the boy sucked in a shaky breath. 

“But perhaps I’m being too hasty.” He murmured. “The first day I had your class I told you she’d forgive you. I still stand by what I said.” He assured the willowy man. “The other professors all agree she was forthright when it came to forgiveness. She was as caring as she was deadly. I have no doubts that in time she would have welcomed you back with open arms.”

“But your father probably wouldn't,” Snape countered. “He hated me, his friends hated me, correction, most of his friends hated me. Lupin had no negative thoughts about me.” 

“Lupin? My defense tutor?” he inquired. Snape nodded and held up his hand to speak again.

“I did a horrible thing in my past. After the name calling I was pushed away by everyone. Even the slytherins who pressured me. So I did probably the worst thing I could have.”

“You joined Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters.” Harry indicated with a pained look.

“Do not speak his name.” Snape chided. “But yes, I joined him, did I like it? Not really, but it offered me chances I would never have had. It’s the reason I have my potions mastery today.”

“The dark lord was offering masteries?” Harry asked in confusion. Snape gave him a withering look and shook his head. 

“No you buffoon, most of the purebloods at that time were death eaters, so they put in a good word for me with an actual potions master.” He snapped.

“My bad, I’m not quite all there today, think I hit my head on a log last night.” he blurted. Snape’s eye twitched in annoyance and he let out a shaky breath as he ran a bony hand through his hair.

“I feel like you aren’t taking this seriously.” He accused.

“How so?” 

“You do know what today is right?” Harry nodded. “Then why are you so calm? I expected you to be upset, angry, even outright violent with me. Yet here you are as if this is small talk between two friends.” 

Harry looked at the trembling man. From rage, sadness, or anxiety he wasn’t sure. He had to admit the man was right,  _ if  _ he were anyone else he might have been upset, but he wasn’t and that’s a norm for Harry at this point. 

“I think I’m just a bit mature for my age.” Harry offered with a sad smile. “I mourned them my entire life. At first I was upset, Petunia said they died in a car crash, and I was angry they were so irresponsible. And when I learned the truth I was angry that Voldemort killed them. But it’s been a long time since then. It does no good to dwell on what could have been.” He lamented. 

“It’s not that I’m not angry, or upset, I’m just done with crying about them. My only wish is that they are happier wherever they end up.” he set a tentative hand on the older man’s and gave it a squeeze. “I do not blame you for their deaths. Even if your actions led up to it. You did not kill them. An idiot with an immortality complex, and possibly a love for killing small helpless children, did that.” 

Snape stared at him with an unwavering expression of blankness. His stare was so intense that Harry thought he’d completely lost the man. He waved a hand in front of Snape’s face to see if he’d react. Then he squeaked as the man grabbed his wrist tightly. 

“You are the strangest child I have ever met.” he huffed out. “I…” he stared into Harry’s eyes with uncertainty. “Thank you. For trusting me, for forgiving me, for everything. I know I am undeserving of it and I will do my damndest to uphold your trust in me.” He declared. Harry blanched and pried the man’s hand off. 

“Yeah maybe you should wait until after I explain what happened. Don’t want to declare anything prematurely you know? Could want to kill me later.” He cautioned. 

“What could have possibly happened that would make me want to harm you?”

“Well…” Harry clasped his hands together and looked to the side. “I may or may not have offered myself as a blood sacrifice to the dark lord.” he squeaked out. Snape’s face pinched together for a moment. You could almost see the gears turning in his head. A look of absolute confusion slowly shifted to one of outright horror as the words finally became clear.

“Explain, please just, tell me everything. Or else I might collapse from a heart attack.” he slumped in his seat and held his head in his hands. Harry had to admit he was surprised he didn’t have one already. Honestly the amount of trouble Harry gets into would make anyone burst a vessel. 

So he told the potioneer everything. Including the fact that he felt like he was possessed. A fact that had Snape feeling as if his head was about to roll. The information about Firenze was a shocker. Apparently the herd of centaurs were not fond of the school's inhabitants. Not that Harry blamed them, he often found the others lacking, in both knowledge and reasoning skills.

“So you’re telling me, that you felt locked inside your own mind, and that whatever was controlling you made you sacrifice yourself?” the professor inquired. 

“I didn’t say I  _ felt _ possessed. I  _ was _ possessed. You can ask Noct if you want.” he explained.

“And Noct is?” he gestured for an answer. Harry stopped himself from answering and bit his bottom lip. He was not supposed to say that. But now that it’s out in the open he can’t just pretend he didn’t say it. “We haven’t got all day Potter.”

“He’s a voice,” he began. Snape narrowed his eyes “In my head I mean. He just showed up one day. We’re the same person obviously and I see him as my voice of reason. But he’s like a separate entity in a way.”

“How so?” The potioneer asked with a calculating gaze.

“When I split into my double he’s the one in control of it. We’re both Harry, everyone calls us that, but alone he is Noct and I’m Harry.” he explained.

“And does this voice ever tell you to do horrible things?” he queried. 

“No, unless I’m in danger he says nothing, well that’s a lie, he stops me from doing stupid things.” he waved his hands around as if thinking if an example. “Like last night! While I was possessed he was screaming at me to stop. And after I oh so graciously offered my blood to mister spooky he knocked me out of my trance.”

“So he’s protective of you?” Snape’s eyes were hard as Harry nodded. He leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. “Harry, have you ever heard of dissociative identity disorder?”

“No sir.” Harry mumbled.

“Multiple personality disorder?” 

“That sounds familiar but I’m still unsure.” he faltered. Why would he ask that?

“People with this disorder typically find themselves with, as you put it, a separate entity inside their heads. They often experience lapses in memory, mood swings or lack of emotion, and sometimes self-destructive behavior.” he intoned. “What you told me sounds a bit similar if you ask me. Is there a possibility you might be experiencing the work of an alter taking control?” Harry tilted his head and thought about it for a moment.  _ No, I am not an Alter.  _ Noct said evenly.  _ I have no control of your body. Not only that but I was once a separate entity before merging with you.  _

“Oh yeah.” Harry mused. “He can’t be an alter. He can’t take control, and he wasn’t even a part of me before, he was just placed into me.” 

“What do you mean, placed into you?” he repeated.

“Noct filled me in a while ago. Apparently when mister dark lord did his whole zappy death thing Noct came into existence. Somewhere along the lines he merged with my soul and became one with me. And now, now he’s sentient, and warning me not to tell anyone else because that’s a stupid idea and oh my god why did I tell you?” he trailed off.

“I am not sure what to think of all this.” Snape admitted. “What you’re saying seems impossible. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, the dark lord seems to make the impossible possible, even when he doesn’t try.” he groaned. Harry looked at him with a raised brow. 

“Professor,” he began. “I was wondering, what did the dark lord offer? What were his intentions?” 

“Why do you want to know?” Snape wondered. “He’s no longer in a place of power so I don’t see why you would want to know.”

“Curiosity? I’ve heard a lot of stories about the man but never one from the perspective of a follower. I want to understand his reasoning behind his actions. Even if they were skewed in the end.” he offered. Snape hummed and inclined his head.

“I’m not entirely sure to be honest. His motives changed throughout his time as dark lord. For all I knew he was just out to kill muggles.” Snape drawled. 

“Then what attracted you enough to join him even for a moment?” Harry pressed.

“I suppose it could have been for magical freedom.” he noted. “Dark magic is seen as evil. So light magic is encouraged and dark magic ostracized. But people whose core is naturally dark struggle to keep up.”

“So he claimed to work towards magical equality?” at Snape’s nod he hummed. “I agree wholeheartedly. The whole concept of magic being labeled is idiotic. I would love to experiment, look at every possible outcome, see just how far magic can go. With limitations of course. Some things just aren't meant to be messed with.” 

“So you agree with him.” he uttered with wide surprised eyes. A sparkle of fascination flashed in his eyes and Harry shivered under the intense stare. It was almost as if Snape found him to be the most interesting thing in the world.

“No, not with everything, I don’t have all the info yet. If I knew what his goal was, then I might have considered it, but I don’t know and the cons are offsetting the pro’s.” he insisted to the man. “There are things he’s done that I would  _ never _ try in my life. So unless he has a valid reason for doing it all then I would rather do my own thing without him.” 

“I see, but if you knew, and he  _ did _ have a valid reason, would you have joined him?” he questioned.

“If he hadn’t killed my mother would you have stayed a loyal death eater?” Harry leered. Snape pulled back with an angry huff. “Do not ask me sensitive questions if you don’t want them turned around on you.” Harry looked at the clock above the potions master and smirked. 

“I’ve changed my mind Potter. You are as suicidal as you are intelligent. One of these days I won’t be able to hold myself back from wringing your neck.” he seethed. Harry gave a sadistic grin and slowly lifted himself from his seat. 

“Is that a threat professor?” he challenged with a playful smirk.

“It’s a promise.” the professor growled. The bell rang and Harry sprinted out the door as the man swiped at him. “POTTER!” 

Harry laughed as he weaved through the crowded hallways. He could see Snape storm out of his classroom and look around for him. This was the only time he was ever thankful for his short stature. A swell of amusement filled his body as he ducked into the not-a-club classroom and found the twins and Draco sitting together on a loveseat. And for once it was genuine amusement. He was actually happy for the first time in months. 

He bounced over to the group and sat in the seat across from them. They seemed to sense him there and stopped whatever conversation they were having. Draco eyed him curiously while the twins shared a matching look of mischief.

“What has you so chuffed?” The blonde asked suspiciously. Harry gave him a smile that reached his eyes and counted down on his fingers. Suddenly the door slammed open and the rest of the instructors rushed in.

“Potter hide, Snape is on his way and he looks murderous, I don’t know what you did but I’ve never seen him like that.” Cedric warned quickly, pulling the door closed after everyone walked in. Neville hid behind the love seat and motioned for him to follow. Harry shook his head and ran into a shadowed part of the room. 

Just as the door opened Harry threw on his cloak. Snape looked around the room and stalked over to the love seat. Neville squeaked in fear as the man snarled. He scanned the room again and wrinkled his nose.

“Do any of you know where Potter is?” he ground out. Draco shook his head and lowered his gaze. The twins shrugged and stared at each other. Cedric pretended to think on it before also shaking his head. “Longbottom… Why are you hiding behind the sofa?” the boy trembled and peered over the edge to stare at Snape. 

“You’re very scary.” he trembled out. Snape blinked and pinched his lips. When no one else gave him an answer of Harry’s whereabouts he stomped out of the room with an upturned nose and a scoff. 

Harry put his cloak away before anyone could notice he fully disappeared and slinked back to his seat. The twins gave him a knowing look that made him chuckle. Cedric seemed impressed and gave him a slap on the back. 

“How did you manage to hide?” Daphne whispered. Harry grinned at her and put a finger to his lips.

“I can’t share all my secrets you know.” His eyes twinkled as her face morphed into a pout. “Anyway I have an assignment due tomorrow and I’ve only written two words.” Blaise stared at him with a blank look and motioned for him to continue. “It’s about a possible cure for werewolves and all I’ve managed to write is my name.” he sighed.

“Technically your name isn’t part of the assignment.” Draco stated. “So you’ve basically written nothing.” 

“Wow, how very astute of you to notice, and wonderfully motivating in my time of need.” Harry replied. The sarcasm was not lost and Draco’s face turned a bright shade of red. 

“Well, I”ll help you with your essay,” Blaise offered. “My mother is great with potions. She finished her mastery not long after Snape did.” 

“I’d greatly appreciate it. What do you want in return?” Harry queried.

“That book you’re always reading in the room. I want it for a night.” he insisted. Harry raised a brow and let a mischievous smirk curl onto his face. 

“Very well, but it’s a very important family heirloom, if anything happens to it I’ll be very upset.” his eyes crinkled in amusement at the slow look of realization crossed everyone’s faces. “Should anything happen I’m not sure you’ll want to sleep in the same room as me.” The color drained from Blaise’ face and he nodded jerkily. 

“What just happened?” Cedric whispered to the twins. 

“Slytherin deal making.” Fred replied.

“Pretty sure it was a threat.” George protested.

“Both?” they asked together. “Both.” they confirmed.

Harry laughed and rolled his eyes. He didn’t mind handing the book over. No one but him can read it anyway. It was warded so only blood relatives could decipher it. So Blaise could try to uncover its secrets but Harry knew it was a fruitless endeavor.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before.” Draco muttered. “Genuinely happy I mean.”

“Understandable, I haven’t felt happy in a long while, not since the summer before last.” Harry acknowledged sadly. “But that will change eventually. And when it does, you better be ready, I’m going to be an emotional wreck.” his lips curled as Draco sighed. 

* * *

  
  
  


Dinner came by too quickly. The group of friends only had a little time to banter after Snape barged in. Harry wasn’t looking forward to the letter he’d have to write later that night. If only he had more time.

The great hall filled with students. All of them were excited for the festivities. Harry felt no desire to celebrate with them, he hoped to celebrate magic instead, in the confines of his cozy room. Something he informed Draco and Blaise of so that they’d leave him alone for the night.

Then he noticed something odd. There was a student missing from the gryffindor table, some of them looking in the familiar spot he associated with the muggleborn witch he’d come to think of as a friend. He turned towards Draco and tugged on his robes.

“Draco, where is Hermione?” He asked quietly. Draco looked at him confused and looked where Harry was pointing. “She’s missing from her normal spot.”

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “That weasel bastard was making fun of her earlier.” he sneered. “So she ran off and hid in the girls bathroom. She must still be in there.” He glared in the direction of Ron and snarled. “How can the twins be related to  _ that _ ? Honestly, it’s like he’s an estranged cousin, there’s no way they’re siblings.”

“I wonder what he said.” Harry frowned and dug into his plate of food. “Quirrell is missing too.” he mumbled. Draco stared at the professors table in curiosity.  _ Something isn’t right. I think you should find Granger and get her to safety. _ “Draco, let's go find Hermione.” he nudged the blonde.

“What? But we just got here. I’m only halfway through my plate.” he grumbled.

“Look, just trust me on this, now let’s go.” he growled. Draco’s eyes widened and he stood up as Harry began walking to the exit. They slipped out of the hall and moved towards the girls bathrooms. 

Harry followed a trail of magic. One filled with despair and frustration. He turned corner after corner until he stumbled upon the girls bathroom. A sound of screaming from the great hall made them stutter to a stop. Draco’s eyes bugged out of his skull with fear. They’d just missed something really big. 

Harry crept into the bathroom and listened to the sound of quiet wimpers. This was obviously where Hermione hid. Unless there was another crying girl. He wouldn’t be surprised honestly. People in this school can be cruel.

“Hermione?” he called out. The whimpering stopped and he heard the sound of panicked movement. “Are you okay?” 

“H-Harry? What are you doing here?” she called out from her stall. 

“Coming to help out a troubled friend obviously.” he snorted. “Look, you’ll miss out on Dinner, and I don't want you malnourished. Plus whatever Ron said is untrue. We all know he’s just jealous and has a superiority complex.” he mocked. There was a giggle from the stall and the sound of it creaking open had him sighing in relief. 

Then he smelled something foul and gagged. The door to the bathroom swung open and Harry turned to stare at who came in. Then he stopped breathing. The smell was horrid, like cow dung steeped in sewage, or a decomposing corpse. Which are odd to think about but the only things his brain could come up with. 

The troll stared at him and Draco. The two boys stared back. Then, with the strength of a banshee, Draco screamed. Harry shoved Draco out of the way as the trolls club came crashing down on the stone floor. Hermione yelped as a broken piece caught her in the leg. 

Oh fuck, Harry was not ready for this, he didn’t even have a shield up yet. Without thinking he sent his distress to Regiis who responded with a vision of worry and the flash of trees in darkness. Why did he always end up in trouble when the serpent was out hunting? 

Harry looked around and summoned his wand. It crackled with dark magic, wishing to be used, but he couldn’t just cast a dark spell at the troll. Not in school anyway. He yanked Draco and Hermione close as the troll pulled it’s club back up. 

“Fumos!” he shouted and a cloud of smoke surrounded the trolls head. “Now.” he commanded as he rushed past the disoriented troll. The other two followed after him as the troll swung the club blindly. Draco ducked under almost too late and squeaked in fear. The cloud was slowly dissipating and Harry grit his teeth. 

He pointed down to his necklace with his wand and whispered “Gemino Corpus.” Noct appeared next to him which spooked Draco out of his trance. Noct looked at Harry before nodding and rushing off. 

“What the hell was that?” Draco hissed. 

“The secret to my ultimate success. He’s going to inform the professors that there’s a troll near the girls lavatory.” he hesitantly smiled. The troll screamed in rage as the smoke finally dissipated. “Scatter!” he ordered. Hermione didn’t think twice and ran further down the hall to get away. Draco stumbled as the club came down once again and Harry cast a protego to protect him from the next one. 

Then the troll looked at him and charged. Harry stumbled back, and in a moment of pure luck, blew on the tip of his wand and watched as a stream of green almost blue fire shot towards the troll. The fire spread out in a halo of flame as it hit the troll’s face, surrounding it in a barrier of scorching heat, singeing it’s skin to blisters. 

The troll slapped its hand against it’s face and roared as it fell back into the wall. The flames seemed to grow hotter the longer it was there and Harry could feel the magic around him pull towards it. Then the window behind him burst open and a guttural hiss echoed around him. Regiis in his larger form reared up and bared his teeth. Draco whimpered from his place on the floor as venom dripped onto the stone next to him. 

The plumes on Regiis’ head fanned out as the sound of footsteps drew closer. Harry watched as Snape turned the corner, McGonagall and flitwick on his heels, as well as Filch who blanched as he gazed at the serpent. The troll groaned and made to stand only for Regiis to strike at it and wrap it in tight crushing coils. Harry could hear the creature's bones crack under his familiar's strength. 

Snape rushed to his side and looked him up and down for injury. Noct peeked out from behind a corner and cancelled the spell. The fire only seemed to get bigger when the two other professors stepped closer. Harry glanced down at Snape’s leg to see it bleeding. 

“Are you okay sir?” he gasped out. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath. 

“Am I- are you even listening to yourself Potter? Am I alright? Yes! But are you!?” he barked, looking Harry up and down before deeming him okay, then moving on to Draco. 

The fire lashed out as Flitwick tried to banish it but it did not burn him. The charms professor seemed concerned before looking at Harry. Then something similar to recognition seemed to twinkle in his eye. He gestured to the fire and made a cutting motion. Harry looked at his wand and flicked it towards himself. The fire swirled into a small orb that floated into the air and dissipated. 

“Harry!” Hermione shouted as she rushed over and squeezed him tightly. Then she lowered her head as McGonagall stomped over.

“What were you thinking? Taking on a troll all by yourselves!?” she demanded. Harry grimaced, this reminded him of things he’d rather forget. “And just the three of you? You could have been killed!” 

“We didn’t know!” Harry retorted. “We left the great hall to find Hermione. If you didn’t know, the other gryffindors have been bullying her! We’re her only friends and we weren’t just going to leave her to cry alone.” Harry stomped his foot on the ground and leveled a protective glare at the woman. McGonagall stared back in shock, eyes wide, jaw dropped, a flush on her cheeks. 

“Is this true?” she asked Hermione with a frown. Hermione looked away and nodded. Her right hand lifted and squeezed her right arm in a tight grip. Harry grabbed it and rubbed soothing circles into her skin. “I am so sorry.” 

“It’s not your fault.” Hermione muttered.

“It most certainly is Ms. Granger. It is my job as a head of house to care for my students. To know that my lions are bullying a fellow cub upsets me greatly and I will make sure to let them know. If they bother you more then you tell me. I won’t stand for it one bit.” she chided. Harry rolled his eyes out of view and grit his teeth. If only she’d been that way when his mother was in school. 

The sound of smooth scales gliding along the stone floor caught his attention. Regiis slid up to Harry with worry emitting from him in waves. The serpent looked him up and down. Dug its nose between his limbs just to see if he was hurt. Harry laughed as a head feather tickled his neck. Regiis pulled away and placed his head on top of Harry’s in a display of comfort. 

Harry glided a hand along his neck as he began to shrink. He minimized in size until finally he could wrap himself around Harry. McGonagall looked impressed with Regiis almost proud in a sense. Filch on the other hand was as still as a statue. Probably realizing how close to death he was when he put Harry into detention. 

“Your familiar is quite strong Mr. Potter.” McGinagall started with a soft smile. “Though I don’t recall it ever being that large.” there was a familiar expression on her face. One similar to how Ollivander looked when he met Regiis. 

“Well he doesn’t normally grow that big unless I’m in danger.” he mumbled. His face turned a shade of pink that had Hermione giggling. 

“I see, I’m glad you’re okay Mr. Potter, thank you, for protecting Ms. Granger when my other cubs wouldn’t. You as well Mr. Malfoy.” she called over. Draco’s head shot up and a small tentative smile replaced his previously spooked expression. “Twenty-five points to Slytherin. To the both of you.” the smile on her face never left even as she guided Hermione away. 

Snape had looked them over one last time before sending them back to their own common rooms. Harry had some minor scrapes, Draco sported a cut on his shoulder from his fall to the ground, a sharp edge went right through his robes. He looked put off, almost afraid, as if he were in deep trouble. 

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, placing a comforting hand on his friends shoulder. Draco jumped then gave him a fake smile. “Don’t look at me like that. I can tell something is upsetting you.” Draco’s face fell and his posture slouched over. 

“I’m just confused.” he admitted. “For most of my life I was taught to ignore others. To save yourself even when you knew it was wrong. Hell, I was told to look down on people, muggleborns, half-bloods, even other purebloods. But then you came along, and now everything I knew, everything I  _ know _ , has been turned around on me.”

“You feel like everything you were taught was a lie?” Harry offered. Draco looked up with shaded eyes, his face was pinched with internal anguish, and Harry, he could understand that feeling. “I know how you feel. Growing up I was told my parents died in a muggle car crash. That my father was a drunk. I had no idea who I really was.” 

“And then you found Regiis?” he smiled hopefully.

“More like Regiis found me.” he lifted the Serpent’s head. Regiis stared back and a rush of fondness flowed through him. “He taught me who I was. Everything my relatives told me was a complete fabrication. Nothing I knew was real. So I understand perfectly fine Draco.” 

“How can- How do you deal with it?” he faltered. “Because it’s so hard. Sometimes I want to fall back into the patterns I grew up with. Sometimes I want to scream and complain, tell people what to do, curse at others just because they make me angry. But I know! I know it’s wrong, your letters from before explained it to me, but it’s so hard to fight it.” he groaned.

Harry looked at his wayward friend and pulled him into a side hug. He was absolutely terrible at giving advice but he’ll sure as hell try. Even if it meant ruining this friendship.

“I think,” he began, “That you are trying to change too quickly.” Draco stared back at him in confusion. “I understand where you’re coming from. Old habits die hard, I would know, I deal with them every day. But you shouldn’t try to change yourself completely. I never said those things make a person bad, or evil, or even undesirable.” Draco scoffed as if he didn’t believe him. 

“Complaining is normal, screaming is great stress relief, telling people what to do can be good for a role in power. Like minister, or secretary, even doctors have to tell the nurses to do things they might not like.” he explained. “Or like… mediwitches and wizards or… I don’t know the wizarding equivalent.”

“Healers and Mediwitches.” Draco replied with an amused huff. 

“Whatever, the point is, none of those traits make you any less of a person. Unless you randomly started killing people for the pleasure of it, I wouldn’t think of you any less than I do now, that being said, don’t treat others like rubbish just because they annoy you. You’re my friend and I’ll be there if you need me.” He confessed. He sighed in relief at the thankful look he received from the blonde. Who knew he could actually be a good advisor? 

“Thanks Harry, I won’t forget this.” a feeling of sincerity rippled inside him and he blinked in shock. After all this time he finally felt a connection to Draco. A part of him felt lighter as the knowledge set in. He finally made a true friend. 

They walked the rest of the way to the common room and stepped inside. The room went quiet as he skipped into the center. Draco rolled his eyes and let himself be dragged into the center.

“We’re back!” he sang. The two boys yelped as they were knocked over by two very heavy individuals. Harry looked at Draco who shrugged. Blaise had him pulled into a tight hug with a protective look on his face. Daphne had Draco in her arms and was sobbing into his chest. 

“You idiots!” she cried. “Why did you sneak off like that?” She shook Draco who seemed to get dizzier the more she shook. Harry looked around the room to see similar looks of worry. Even Pansy was wearing one of concern.

“We thought you were killed.” Blaise breathed. “No one could find you and Snape said you were missing. We just- we thought the worst.” he said squeezing Harry closer. Harry had no idea that Blaise actually cared for him that much.  _ That's because you’re emotionally incompetant unless it’s in the extremes. _ Noct said with an amused tone. 

“Well we’re not dead.” he tried to sound reassuring but it came out as confused. The upper years laughed at this and Flint came out from the group with Pansy and Pucey behind him. Gemma and Redshire also walked up from the other side of the room. As if they were there to guard Harry. 

“I know that we’ve all had our differences. We’ve squabbled and fought each other all year.” Flint said hesitantly. “And I know Pansy and I have been the worst offenders. But we wouldn’t condemn you to death.” he lowered his head. “So as a sign of good will we wish to move on and put the past behind us.”

Harry looked at them in shock, his heart pounded in his ears, thoughts rushed through his head, his jaw dropped.  _ Take the offer _ Noct pushed.  _ It will give you an advantage for the coming years. They’re considered the leaders and no one will fight against them. _ Harry blinked a few times before nodding. 

“I accept.” he stated. Flint and Pansy sighed in relief. “On one condition.” he smiled sweetly. He saw Pansy shiver and look around the room. “Draco, get the book, but not the one about the history.” Draco stared at him before recognition kicked in and he ran towards the rooms. 

“I know you won’t change your ways, I know your parents taught you pureblood honor, and I respect that. But please read this book.” He pleaded, duplicating the book Draco held out to him three times. “I wrote it myself with some help from a pureblood and I want you to keep in mind that I don’t expect you to act differently.” Pansy, Flint, and Pucey grabbed the books and looked at the title. 

“It’s about muggles and purebloods… and their genetics.” they stated clearly. Harry nodded in confirmation. “And if we don’t like what’s written in it?” Flint inquired.

“Then burn it if you must.” Harry suggested. “But know that you will find things a lot more clear after reading it.” The three of them looked at each other before nodding and stalking away into a dark corner of the room. None of them hesitated to open the book. Others sneered as they walked past but didn’t say a thing against them. 

“Now then, I just fought a giant troll, used a lot of magic, and have an essay due tomorrow. So if you’ll allow me, I’m going to my room, unless you have questions?” he smirked deviously at Draco who groaned as a group of students surrounded them demanding answers. 

Neither of them could escape until Snape came in and demanded they stay quiet or head to bed. Which Harry took the time to slink off to his room with Blaise. Together they attempted to finish the essay.

* * *

  
  
  


Harry put the last of his essay away and yanked out a separate sheet of parchment. Blaise fell asleep an hour ago, no longer able to keep his eyes open, even though he wasn’t the one to fight a god damned troll. He smiled softly and looked down at the parchment. His already warm fountain pen trembled in his grip. What was he even going to say? 

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. How does one go about explaining that they are some sort of living weapon? Fulgur would be pissed, Harry knew that for sure, but he didn’t want the man storming up to Hogwarts with an army of fae on his tail. Though he highly doubted that would happen.

He bit his lip and scratched at the slowly forming scab on his arm. He could lie and say he’s fine. But he loathed lying so that was out. He could just omit the info entirely and act like he’s fine. But that still counts as lying by omission. He sighed and leaned his head against his palm. Venandi pulled at his hair, untangling it the best she can, only to make it worse. He smiled at her fondly and ran a hand through her feathers.

He looked at the parchment with a withering glare. He’d just have to settle for the truth. Even if he didn’t want to admit anything he’d write. But he wouldn’t just refuse to tell Fulgur. The man deserved more than that. So he picked up his pen and gently placed it on the parchment.

**_“Dear Fulgur,_ **

**_This year has had many ups and downs. It has only been two months and I find myself in a pit. Just this week many things have happened and I’m not sure how to feel. I am confused, amused, and frightened all at the same time. I think I should start from where I left off._ **

**_The curse has been going on since before you saved me. So much longer than a year. The week after you dropped me off at my relatives, another was placed upon me, and I know it was by the old man. I cannot feel emotions, not normally at least. My emotions come out in extremes, when I’m angry I am murderous, when I’m upset I can go into a panic attack, and when I feel genuine happiness I am bubbly and bouncy for hours._ **

**_It scares me, because I know that I could hurt people, I already have. I attacked Pansy Parkinson and Marcus Flint not that long ago. I fought back like you said and I was angry when I did. I… Fulgur I almost cut out his tongue. If that doesn’t scream dangerous I don't know what does._ **

**_All the things you’ve asked me to inform you of have come true. All but the skips in time. There is a voice in my head. I call him Noct, but we both know we’re the same person, so I consider him my voice of reason. He’s protective of me and never tries to make me do anything I shouldn’t. I want to explain in more detail the next time I see you._ **

**_I was put into a trance during my first detention. Noct was so scared, I don't even remember when I lost control, just that I became reckless and borderline suicidal. Fulgur, I offered myself as a blood sacrifice to the dark lord, after he drank the blood of a unicorn! I had no control of what I was saying! Noct had to break me out of my trance so that we didn’t get drained of blood._ **

**_Speaking of the dark lord, he’s back by the way, not sure who he’s possessing yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion it’s the DADA professor, Quirrell. That man just doesn’t sit right with me. He always asks the strangest questions._ **

**_Anyway, I recently fought a troll, and by recent I mean just hours before I’m writing this. My wand was sparking with dark magic. I got Draco and my muggleborn friend Hermione as safe as I could. But the weirdest thing occurred. I blew out a stream of blue-green fire. It seemed to suck up the magical energy around it and acted as a barrier to keep the troll away. It was similar to fiendfyre but different at the same time. It only seemed to affect the troll, neither Regiis nor the professors were burned, it was odd._ **

**_My magic has settled now that I cast the flames. I’ve also used my cloak to hide from Snape recently. I may have upset him a little. But he seems to genuinely be trying to separate me from my father. He’s still an arse though._ **

**_I’m sorry for not telling you before. I feel as though I’ve only become more of a burden and I regret keeping it bottled up. I’ll try to keep you filled in from now on. But I might be indisposed if this current trend continues._ **

**_May mother magic bless you,_ **

**_Harry Potter-LeFay_ **

**_Heir to the Most Ancient and Prestigious House of LeFay.”_ **


	13. His Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry awoke with a gasp of cold stale air. He lifted a hand to his face, touching every part of it, as if something might have changed. That dream, whatever it was, he couldn’t remember it clearly. What was it? A message. From who? There was no answer. Noct stayed completely quiet. I- I don't remember. Why can’t I remember?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 more chapters! I'm still not done with book 2 ϘwϘ

The morning after the troll incident Harry tumbled out of bed. Blaise snickered from his bed and Harry flung a stinging hex at him. As graciously as he could for a sleep deprived child, he got up, got dressed, and exited the room. So a pretty normal morning. And it continued to be normal until he stepped into the common room. 

He stopped and stared at everyone with a look of pure confusion. Every single one of them was reading. And what were they reading? Copies of the books he’d given to Flint, Pansy, and Pucey. He squinted as he watched Snape walk in with his own copy. He must be dreaming or something. It’s way too early for this shit if he isn’t. 

He yawned and passed by everyone with a wave. A few new faces waved back, many of them usually sneered, but now they looked at him as if impressed. Even Snape nodded to him and lifted his copy. Harry ignored them in favor of walking to breakfast. Blaise and Draco caught up not long after with matching looks of amusement.

It was in the middle of breakfast that he gave up. He watched as everyone came in with their books and sat at the table. Even Snape brought his copy up and happily showed it to Quirrell. Harry threw up his hands and looked at Draco.

“What the fuck is happening?” there were a few gasps around the table and he glared at each person who did so. “I’m serious, what the hell is this about?” he urged. Finally, whatever laugh Draco was holding back, came out full force as Harry smacked his head against the table.

“I- oh god, I’m so sorry Harry.” Draco wheezed. “So like, Flint and Pucey were super impressed with your work, right? So they took it to Snape who read like half of it. I kid you not Harry. He stormed into the common room early this morning with copies for everyone. And I mean  _ everyone _ in slytherin.” He started laughing again. He was laughing so hard his eyes were watery. Some of the ravenclaws across from them stared in confusion.

“He ordered everyone to read it!” Blaise chimed in. “So now they are and I haven’t read it yet but whatever it says has given them some weird perspective on life.” Blaise snorts and coughs as a piece of egg gets lodged in his throat. Daphne pats his back hard and Blaise coughs it up. “Thanks Daph.” he says with a smile. 

“Wait, so you’re telling me,  _ everyone  _ in slytherin has a copy?” Harry’s eyes went wide. He wasn’t expecting this at all.

“Everyone.” Daphne echoed. 

Harry wheezes out the last of his breath and lets his head fall to the table once more. How had his life come to this? Oh god, who else knows? Please goddess don’t let anyone else know he wrote that. 

“Does anyone else know?” he pleaded. Draco breathed and shook his head. Oh thank the goddess above. “Well tell them not to brag about it. I don’t want anyone knowing I wrote that.” 

“And who should we say wrote it?” Blaise voiced. 

“Noctis LeFay obviously.” Draco replied with a saccharine smile. Harry gaped at him and pushed his shoulder. “What? I’m not wrong.” 

“Well don’t put the last name in there.” Harry whispered. “No one else knows I’m a LeFay.” he warned in a low hiss. 

“Oh yeah.” Draco said as if he didn’t remember. “Then just Noctis. Or Noctis L. No one would be the wiser unless they were in our group.” 

“Fine,” Harry conceded. “But I want this told now before word spreads it was me.” he demanded. Then he realised Blaise and Daphne had left their seats already to tell everyone. There were nods all around the table and people sent him a thumbs up when told. Gemma finally stood up and walked over to Snape who leaned over and listened to her whispers. He stared at Harry for a moment before nodding and whispering to Quirrell. 

“You should really get this published.” Blaise suggested as he sat down. “Could make a ton of money doing it too. Plus if you used the full last name it would make the purebloods buy it.” He forced out around a mouth full of food. 

“Please wait to swallow before talking.” Harry begged. “But you have a point. I’d have to ask Fulgur for permission first since it’s his last name I’ll be using.”

“It’s your last name too you know.” Daphne responded with a smile that crinkled her eyes. “He might be the lord currently but you are the heir. That means you will eventually become Lord LeFay. That name is as good as yours already.”

“I suppose you’re right.” he hummed in response. “But it still feels a little odd. I’ll think about it and discuss it with him over the summer.” He finished his breakfast and headed to the abandoned classroom. 

He handed his essay to Snape as he came in and set to work on whatever potion the man set up for him. He worked diligently in silence for the most part. Only the sound of furious scribbles by Snape made him flinch every so often. His essay wasn’t the only one being graded it seemed. Two stacks of heavily marked papers sat on the desk Snape sat in. One stack seemed to be growing larger than the other.

Harry looked down at the cauldron and jumped as Regiis took a whiff of it. He yanked the serpent back and reprimanded him for almost putting himself in danger. Snape looked up from his grading, watching in amusement as the snake argued back, only for Harry to stick his tongue out. Then the cauldron bubbled and Harry sneezed. A burst of fire exited his mouth and he stared in shocked silence. 

Harry put a stasis charm on his cauldron and pulled it off the heat. Snape stood up to see what was wrong only for Harry to put up a hand. He shivered as the room grew colder by the second. Harry’s breath showed in little puffs of air. Then the cold evaporated as if it were never there. Harry trembled for a moment then went back to work as if it were nothing. 

Snape continued to stare at him as he worked. Harry itched at his skin, as if something was under it, crawling inside. He worried at his bottom lip. His eyes were going in and out of focus at odd intervals. Only coming back to coherency when the potion needed him to.

“Potter,” Snape called as Harry corked the potion. Harry’s head snapped up to him and Snape swore he could see a puff of air leave Harry. “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned for his student. Harry seemed to pause in place, as if time stopped, and then he itched at his skin again. Snape stood up and walked over. He yanked Harry’s hand off his arm and pulled the shirt sleeve up. 

Red scratch marks marred his skin. Small black veins creeped up under the nearly transparent layer and pulsed with magic. Dark magic that whispered to him. Begged him to be free. Snape stared into the boy’s eyes and grit his teeth.

“You have a dark core.” It wasn’t a question but Harry nodded anyway. “How long?” 

“Always.” was the broken response. “I’ve grown up with the itch under my skin. It’s just never been this bad until now.” he stressed. 

“I would assume so. Before now you weren’t surrounded by a constant stream of magic. It must be excruciating for you to not use any dark magic. Oh goddess Harry I’m so sorry.” Snape apologised, rubbing the scratched skin under his hand. “How bad has the itch been?” 

“Until recently? Not bad. But it got worse after breakfast. I don’t understand why it’s so persistent now.” He grit out. He was resisting yanking his hand away to start scratching again. “My wand was crackling with it last night. And I guess I used dark magic because it faded for a while. Then it just came back at full force out of nowhere.” 

Snape thought for a moment. When had Harry used dark magic? He was so out of touch in sensing it, ten years of avoiding death eater’s had made his senses blind, even to himself. Was it the fire? It seemed familiar. Then he gasped and peered into Harry’s eyes. 

“A modified Protego Diabolica.” he breathed. “Harry, you cast a dark charm last night, unintentionally but you did.” 

“What do you mean modified?” there was worry written all over Harry’s face. This was not something he thought he’d hear at all. 

“Protego Diabolica is a dark charm famously used by the dark lord Gridelwald. It was a circle of flames that protected the caster from anyone deemed as the enemy. Allies were the only ones who could enter.” he explained patiently. “Your’s was modified. You had it wrap around your target and trapped it in the circle so no one would get hurt. And because your magic reserves are so little at this age, you had it use the magic around you instead. You essentially made a prison out of a shield.” Snape said with a slowly forming smile. 

“Of course an imbecile like you would cast a dark charm without knowing. So now your core was given a taste of the magic you cast but not used to fuel it. So it’s trying to push its way out into the world to experience it.” He stared at the clock then looked back at Harry. “You have Defense next?” Harry nodded. “Good, I’ll be back.” He rushed out of the room. Leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. His arm was really itchy.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Snape had returned with professor Lupin not long after. The man had given him a small smile and told him exactly what they would be doing. What Harry wasn’t expecting was the absolute torture of using the dark charm over and over agin. His lungs felt like they were filled with smoke, his body shook against the cold of the room, the flames only made the temperature difference worse. 

It felt like hours before the itching faded completely. The black veins receding back to his core. In that time Noct came back to merge only to be sucked into a conversation with the professor. Needless to say, Harry didn’t get lunch that day, and the backlash of being unmerged for so long was felt throughout the night.

His mindscape was a mess, the information learned throughout the day clashing with his past memories, unable to untangle themselves from one another. Noct was slowly becoming annoyed as his hard work was tangled into an unintelligible mass of info. He tried to pull it all apart, gently unraveling the sensitive thoughts from the others, it wouldn’t do much good if everything was disorganized. 

Harry was asleep already. Tired from the constant use of magic through the day. Noct walked around the mindscape, a replica of the LeFay Manor, but in a different color scheme. He stopped at a locked door to the right of him and peered in through a crack. Harry sat in a chair, reading a large leather bound book, a book Noct never understood. The Harry in their mindscape was different from the one he usually held conversations with.

This one was older, covered in battle scars, and had eyes that told a thousand variations of the same story. He was pale, almost sickly in color, eyes sunken in and hollow. Around him were portraits. Some of them were familiar to Noct. Pictures of his friends, family, and loved ones. Others had their eyes scratched out, claw marks showing this version’s distaste for those he deemed enemies. One such portrait was of a familiar old man. Another was in tatters, but looked to be slowly piecing itself back together, as if it were never meant to be ripped apart. 

The door creaked open and the other Harry looked up from his book. His eyes flashed warningly before softening. The frown he wore was replaced by a small smile as the older Harry conjured up a new seat. Noct sat in the new chair across from him and looked around timidly.

“I was wondering when you’d show up.” They spoke in a willowy voice. Both old and young, pure and corrupt, light and dark. 

“Who are you?” Noct asked in wonder. The older gave him a sharp toothed smile. 

“I am the past, the present, and the future. I am who Harry is, was, and will be. In a sense I am his soul.” it replied smoothly. “But you, you are something else, something just as important if not more.” 

“What do you mean?” The portraits in the room shifted. Everyone turned to stare at him with judgment in their eyes.

“I cannot tell you.” he said, staring out the window into the deep expanse of woods, lightning flashed and lit the room. “Harry must figure it out on his own. Fate is done playing her games with us. She has deemed it time to find true peace.” He trailed off near the end. A far away look spread across his features before it shifted to a sinister smile. Glowing slitted green eyes turned to Noct, sharp teeth glinted in the low light of the fireplace, claws clicked against the side table. 

“What are you?” Noct asked, staring at the almost demonic appearance of the other. 

“I am his soul, but I am also his blood, a monster of past creations, and should he live long enough, I am what he will become.” he replied, tapping his long nails against hardened wood. “I am not evil, nor am I good, I embody his everything.”

“You’re magic.” Noct breathed. “A part of every being, young, old, unborn, and dead. You cannot be destroyed or created. You are his core, his heart, blood, and soul.” Noct stared wide eyed at the being in front of him. “But you’ve been locked away.” 

“That I have.” the other pointedly stared at the scratched picture of Dumbledore. “Every life I live is the same, propagated by a singular man, a soul who has forced themselves into a life of destruction. They claim to be the light, the one to protect us from the dark, they wish to strip the dark away for good. But without it…” they paused and stared at the tattered portrait. 

“There cannot be light without darkness, and no darkness without light, we would all be blinded.” Noct offered. 

“Yes, but one should not overpower the other, only balanced. Like a world shrouded in an eternal twilight.” 

“The fae realm.” Noct gasped. The other nodded and its eyes crinkled up in pride. “It’s no wonder magic flourishes there. They are split into three factions, all of equal forces, so that none overpower the other.”

“Correct, but the fae are beings of magic’s creation, they know the teachings of their mother best.” they flipped open the book and looked down at it longingly. “Humans are fickle beings. all instinct thrown to the wind. They ignore their magic’s pleas for balance, shoving it down into a pit of despair, only to feel worse at it festers and attacks back.” 

“What do you mean it attacks?” Noct asks cautiously. That sinister grin returned and the room filled with shadows. All light was blocked out from the windows, not even the fireplace could be seen under all the tendrils of darkness, only a pair of glowing green eyes. 

“Magic needs to be in constant balance. Too much light and the darkness will fade away. Too much darkness and the light will be snuffed out. But in a moment of weakness the darkness will overpower the light and take you for itself. And it can be said for the opposite as well.”

“The black veins.” Noct looked towards his arm in fascination. “But I don’t understand. My core  _ is  _ dark right?” the being stared at him as the shadows faded away. 

“Of course not. Yes, there are some who’s cores are more accepting of dark magic, almost like an immunity to its effects. Dark magic is heavy as you know. It affects the mind, the body, and the soul. Those with a predisposition to the dark are less likely to suffer. That does not mean the core is inherently dark itself. Just that it has a built in protection against a strong magic.”

“So it’s like a shield?” the other nodded. “So our cores are like yin and yang. They are both dark and light, but depending on your strengths, it shows what you are strong against.”

“Correct, you are adept in all kinds of magic, your core shows it clear as day when others see it. It can be described as an orb, a ball of darkness, but in the center and around the edges, there is light. It is when you unbalance that core that the dark overpowers the light and shows only darkness.” 

Noct stared at the other Harry, he was filled with so much knowledge, and he felt so powerful. The other looked out the window and grimaced. The sun was rising over the horizon. Noct wouldn’t be able to stay. The sound of large bells rang through the manor. He needed to wake up. 

“Our time is up.” The other stated. “You will not meet me again. Not unless there is mortal danger.”

“Why did you tell me all of this?” Noct asked with confusion. 

“Because the mother told me to. Now awaken, the light and dark are at war, you are the only hope for true balance.” Noct was shoved out of the room and watched the door slammed closed. Chains wrapped around the door, locking it up for good, he wouldn’t be able to open it again. Then he was yanked down and through the floor.

Harry awoke with a gasp of cold stale air. He lifted a hand to his face, touching every part of it, as if something might have changed. That dream, whatever it was, he couldn’t remember it clearly. What was it?  _ A message. _ From who? There was no answer. Noct stayed completely quiet.  _ I- I don't remember. Why can’t I remember? _

Harry sat in his bed staring blankly at the wall. None of it made sense. Why couldn’t he remember his dream? Only bits and pieces seemed to remain. The info about cores was fresh in his mind. But he had no recollection of who he was talking to. The only thing he remembers is glowing green slitted eyes. 

Blaise had eventually gotten out of bed much later than normal. The weekend was finally beginning. Harry snapped out of his thoughts and let Noct brood in his head. As long as he sorted through the mess in his mind he didn’t care what the other did. But he knew Noct would be searching the pile, looking for clues on their dream, or anything he thought was interesting. 

Harry took a steamy shower to clear his head of any lingering thoughts. He was just stressed, that was all, nothing was out of the ordinary. He survived an attack not even two days ago, had to use dark magic for an entire day, and had a strange dream. There was nothing wrong at all. But the tension never left his shoulders even after his shower. 

He dressed himself into comfortable clothing and trudged all the way to the not-a-club room and found himself smiling at a pair of over enthusiastic twins. They looked to him and waved him over with matching grins. Harry felt himself relax slightly as he sat in the seat next to them. Then he saw the paper on the table.

“Is that the third floor corridor?” he asked the two with suspicion. They nodded eagerly and pushed the paper towards him. The corridor was mapped out in a detailed manner. Showing the route filch takes through it, who comes and goes, and a beautiful scribble of the cerberus next to one of the doors. Under the cerberus looked to be a square with a handle on it. “What is this?” 

“We found our ickle Ronniekins sneaking-’

“around the corridor by himself. He-”

“Came rushing out screaming about-”

“A huge three headed dog.” 

“But he also said something else.” Fred continued. His eyes shone brighter than his brothers, the cool brown shifting into a green as it neared his pupil, George’s eyes were similar but more warm toned and shifted towards a hazel.

“There’s a trap door under the bloody dog!” George imitated. “It’s guarding something!” Harry snorted as George made doe eyes at a pretend hand puppet. “Please professor McGonagall, let me see what it’s protecting, I won’t tell nobody.”

“Did he actually say that?” the twins looked at him and nodded with matching smirks. “Wow, what an absolute idiot, your family is full of some strange individuals. No offense.” the twins shrugged in response. “So why’d you draw it all out? And please tell me in full sentences. I enjoy your twin telepathy but this is serious.” 

“Ah alright, anything for you oh prince of serpents.” Fred winked and looked at his brother.

“So we’ve been watching who’s been coming in and out of the corridor all week. Most of the teachers go up to check on it, Filch does his patrols, sometimes students just end up there on accident but they leave.” George pointed to the color coded lines on the map. 

“But we noticed something off.” Fred began and pulled out a quill full of blue ink. “One teacher doesn’t check on it like the rest.” He writes a name and draws a line that moves to each of the doors before ending up at the cerberus door only to leave again. “Quirrell never goes up there. Or he didn't, that is, until the troll incident.” Harry’s eyes widened. 

“So right before dinner we saw him go up. We thought it was odd, he never goes up there, but it isn’t unheard of that a professor forgets their duties.” George explained. “But something felt off and we were right. He had no idea where the room was, and when he came back out, he was limping and looked spooked.”

“Then the troll incident happened and he was unconscious for most of it.” Harry breathed. Then a thought occurred to him. “Snape came back to help me when I was being attacked by the troll. He was bleeding from his leg and was limping. Was he there during the panic?” 

The twins stared at each other in silent conversation. Then they pulled out a separate folded paper and placed it on the table. Harry looked at it in confusion before they spoke once more.

“He was there that night, only for a moment, but it seemed he was just as suspicious as we are now.” Fred placed his wand against the parchment. “This is our tool to success when it comes to getting around the castle undetected.” Then he spoke in a clear voice. “I solemnly swear I am up to no good.” 

The paper slowly filled with ink. The words “Marauders Map” took up the page as well as moving footsteps. Fred unfolded the map and pointed to the third floor corridor. Filch was currently pacing up and down it with his cat. 

“The marauders?” he inquired, the familiar name nearly made him growl. Of course his father would make a map of the school. “But this map shows…”

“Everyone.” the twins finished.

“Where they are.” 

“What they’re doing.”

“at every minute”

“Of any day.” 

“That’s brilliant, a little messed up cause that would technically be considered spying, but brilliant nonetheless. Though the fact the Marauders made it is kinda naff.” he muttered.

“Why’s that?” they asked.

“The Marauders were my dad's gang in school.” he answered. The twins didn’t seem to understand the issue so he continued. “They were kind of a bunch of assholes. Sometimes they did harmless pranks, which is great, good for them. But other times… they were bullies. Everyone in the group, besides Lupin, were known to harass slytherins and ravenclaws alike. They didn’t normally mess with hufflepuffs but it was still enough that professor sprout had some nasty comments about them.” 

“They did some truly nasty things to Snape of all people. Forcing him into traps, calling him names, attacking him for no reason. Did you know my father nearly made him choke to death? Or that they dangled him upside down in front of the entire school?” the twins paled and glanced back at the map. “Flitcick told me about a girl who had fallen from the second story window and ended up in the hospital wing for a week. They only seemed to stop after my mom started dating my father.” he ground out icily.

“Wow, we had no idea.” George cringed. “We aren't bullies like them, we promise you that. All our pranks are harmless, we test them on ourselves first after all, so we don't use them unless we know they’re safe.” 

“Yeah, we would never do any of that, not unless there were proper safety precautions. Even then we would rather not take the risk.” Fred stressed. 

“I know, you guys are some of the nicest people I’ve met, I was never worried you would do something sinister. Not that I doubt you could, you can still probably kick my arse, but not in the pranking sense.” he comforted, giving them a soft smile. 

“Well, if you can find out what that cerberus is guarding, I’ll let Snape know Quirrell is trying to get his hands on it.” The twins perked up and gave him a salute. “But who would know what a cerberus would be guarding?” he thought for a moment before he facepalmed. The twins looked at him oddly with raised eyebrows. “I’m so dense, the only other person at the school who’s obsessed with creatures, is that groundskeeper.”

“Hagrid?” Fred inquired. 

“Yeah that’s the one. He’s got this odd fascination with the creatures around here. He thinks Regiis is  _ neat _ .” he smirked. “Though he got spooked when I told him what kind of snake he is.”

“I’m pretty sure anyone would be scared of a snake that grows to the size of a bloody basilisk.” an annoyed voice spoke behind him. Harry turned to stare at Draco with an innocent smile.

“Why Draco, my good friend. Are you speaking from experience?” he asks sweetly. The blonde shudders and sits down across from him. Blaise and Daphne weren’t far behind him, they too sat down when another seat was conjured up, Daphne looked exhausted as she sunk into the cushions. 

“Yes well your snake is currently stalking Filch’s cat. So it’s got the poor excuse of a man freaked out. He was looking for you so you’d remove Regiis from the area.” Daphne groaned. “I swear that man has it out for me or something.”

“Why do you say that.” the twins tilted their heads together. Daphne huffed and sat up with a scowl. 

“Sometimes I’ll be walking down the halls and he’ll just stare. Other times he’ll whisper to his damned cat about the ‘incident.’” she curled her hands as she quoted him. “Like, I get it already, I should stay away from the third floor corridor. It wasn’t even our fault in the first place. I don’t need him breathing down my neck.” she huffed. “Thanks by the way.” she motioned to the twins who beamed at her.

“It was our duty to prank such loathsome sinners m’lady.” Fred bellowed in a deep voice.

“Such actions should never be condoned in such a wondrous place as this.” George placed a fist to his heart and the two brothers bowed low. Daphne giggled softly and rolled her eyes.

Harry let himself relax in the aura of familiarity around him. He’s been so tense this month it was nice to just let loose and allow himself to fall into a comfortable lull. His friends didn’t seem to mind at all as they let him doze off in his chair. He even managed to eat a full meal at their behest. 

He hadn’t even noticed he’d fallen asleep fully until his eyes snapped open to a dark room. He looked around blearily and rubbed his eyes with a yawn. Regiis perked up from his place of rest and hissed a greeting. On the table next to him was a note written by the twins. They said something about leaving him there because he looked too comfortable to disturb. 

He smiled fondly at the note and tucked it into his pocket. He had such amazing friends. He… he has friends. Like actual friends! And he views them as such as well. It’s so strange. He’s never had friends before. He’s had acquaintances, and bullies, and kinda family. But never real, living, human friends. 

He  _ trusts  _ these people. It's something he’s come to realize over time. Draco was always so willing to talk to him,  _ learn _ from him, despite what his father said. Blaise never told anyone his secrets, treated him like a real human being, genuinely cared for him. Daphne is always there for him, like a therapy friend, she actively seeks him out to have debates. And the twins? They never let prejudice get in the way of their own opinions. They were open to all his ideas, thoughts, and actions. They didn’t avoid him like their housemates.

None of them have ever hurt him in the time he’s been here. And that, that is exactly what he needed, people to be there for him when others can’t. Living with the Dursleys was hard on him, he learned to distrust others, actively push them away. Because no one would help anyway. His family always had an excuse for his claims. 

Trusting people is hard, trusting adults is even harder, because they never listened to him. So having people around him that will back him up, protect him when he’s down, take care of him both mentally and physically. That fills him with sincere happiness. 

Living with Fulgur taught him so much. That he could rely on someone other than himself. That there are people out there he can trust. He just didn’t think he’d find them so quickly. But he also found enemies. People who tried to manipulate him, tear him down, and cast him aside like yesterday’s rubbish. They lied and created so much conflict. They were exactly like the Dursleys.

_ Humans are fickle creatures. _ Noct mused with mirth. Harry startled at the voice in his head. Noct huffed and Harry could almost feel the eyeroll given to him.  _ They don’t like what they do not understand. Destroying whatever it is that causes them distress is easier than living with it. _ Harry understood that, but still, it’s not like he actively antagonizes them.  _ Be that as it may, you are an unknown, something they want to push the boundaries of. You are so different from what they were told. They want to see just how different. _

“They shouldn’t have to test me at all.” he grumbled. “It’s insulting, I’m not some dumb animal, they can  _ ask _ me what I’ll do instead of push me. I hate conflict.” he huffed and sunk back into the seat.

It was at this point he wondered where Marvolo was. He hasn’t seen him in what felt like forever. Even after everything settled down. So where was he? 


	14. Shooketh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We have news from the big guy outside.” Fred said in a serious tone. Harry perked up and leaned in close. 
> 
> “Apparently the doggy is guarding the philosopher's stone.” George whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will not lie, I thought I was supposed to update yesterday and nearly freaked out when I woke up on a 9 hour nap. ANYWAYS 1 more chapter!

Marvolo never returned. Not once did he step foot into Harry’s domain after the troll incident. It was odd, for Harry at least, Noct didn’t seem to mind. But Harry felt a sudden emptiness when he realized his odd acquaintance would no longer visit him. It was an emptiness that couldn’t be filled with late night talks with Daphne. An emptiness that not even the twins could fill with their enthusiasm. 

Somehow he had attached himself to this unknown being. So now he was filled with an emotion that he hadn’t felt in quite a while. Loneliness. And that feeling followed him all the way into the winter months. And though his friends made him laugh, filled him with joy, and comforted him. He just couldn’t shake the feeling.

Fulgur had replied as well in the middle of November. He wasn’t happy, but he wasn’t too upset with Harry either. He understood that having a curse placed on him was out of his control. But it only made the man more upset at Dumbledore. 

The news that Voldemort was back also made Fulgur worry for him. The letter was multiple pages long. A lot of it went into detail of defense tactics, healing magic, and protective spells. Which he knew most of already but it was the thought that counted. Fulgur was like an older brother, or maybe, an uncle of sorts. He was the closest thing to real family Harry could get. The man was amazingly kind for his species but that probably came with his background.

The fae were easily offended by what most humans would consider kind gestures. They were tricksters, deal makers, and silver tongued sweet talkers. They were out for themselves for the most part. But despite all that, they also cared for their fellows. It didn’t matter if you were of the Seelie or Unseelie court, if a faerie is being threatened, by anyone, then they are threatening all the fae.

In a way they’re very close even though they have their own conflicts. But despite their flaws, there is one thing about them that Harry appreciates, they do not lie. Not outright anyway. A common rule amongst them is to say what you mean. You will rarely if at all see a faerie lie to another. Twist the truth? Absolutely, but never outright lie. 

It’s something Harry likes about them. Because that means Fulgur doesn’t lie to him either. He’s truthful, he’s loving and kind, he’s trustworthy. He is everything Harry looks for in a family member. Everything the Dursleys are not. Yet he was stuck living with those wretches for the next four years. All because of some manipulative old man. 

He growled and slammed his current book closed. He shoved the book back into its place and stomped out of the common room. He was stuck at school and he was pissed. Draco had invited him over and Harry was all too happy to go. But of course, Dumbledore didn’t want him leaving his sight, like he was some kind of pet. What an asshole.

He trudged up the stairs, grumbling the entire way, hoping to find himself in the astronomy tower. He turned corners, climbed steep steps, passed by various paintings. But he couldn’t think straight enough to remember the school’s layout. He paced a corridor multiple times wracking his brain for directions. He needed to be alone, completely, with only his thoughts. But he also wanted answers that he knew he wouldn’t find.

Suddenly a door appeared next to him and he nearly jumped out of his own skin. His heart raced for a moment before slowing with every breath he took. He was not prepared to get spooked by an inanimate object today. 

He approached the door, wondering what it would lead to, since obviously his thoughts were loud enough for the school to hear him. Otherwise the door wouldn’t have popped up at all. He hesitantly opened the door and peered inside. 

It was a normal abandoned classroom. There were windows all around, an unused light hanging from the ceiling, stone floors covered in dust. But in the center sat a large ornate mirror. Harry walked in and quietly shut the door. Nothing moved so that was a good sign. He shuffled over to the mirror, looking at the carved lettering, only to scowl as the words were written backwards.

It took a few seconds to decode what it said. The words were broken up and the letters were placed together awkwardly. He almost couldn’t understand it. He frowned as the words registered in his brain. 

“I show not your face but your heart’s desire?” he stepped forwards and stared into his reflection. Nothing seemed to happen for a moment, but then, people started to pop up beside him. On his left stood his parents, people he had only seen in photos, they looked… happy. Behind them were his friends, Draco smiling happily and chatting with the twins, Daphne studying with an intense gaze, Blaise smiling softly at Harry, a fond look in his eyes.

To his right was Fulgur in all his fae glory. He was grinning, his arms were full, books falling out of his grip every so often. Harry himself looked a little more fae like. He was taller, had pointier ears, long nails, sharp teeth, long hair, and almost glowing green eyes. He had his cloak on, the Peverell tome tucked tightly under his arm, Regiis wrapped protectively around his neck. 

The only people that confused him were the two men behind him. One was tall, very pale, with jet black hair and dark blue eyes. He was slim but he had an air of power that he exuded. Only matched by Harry’s own power. He had a lazy smirk on his face, one that told sinister stories, but his eyes held something else. Something Harry wasn’t sure of. Almost like a protective gaze but with more intensity, like maybe a parent looking over their child, or a really  _ close friend. _

Behind the man was what his mind could only think of as a being. They looked both femenine and masculine. They were short, paler than the others, and their hair was pure white. Their eyes were a glowing green, similar to Mirror Harry, but brighter and more intense. Their cloak looked just like Harry’s if not more shadowy. Almost void like.

A sudden rush of dizziness filled his head and he closed his eyes instinctively. He could make out bits of Nocts voice coming through in a worried tone. He stumbled on tired legs and looked towards the door. The room was dark, the only light came from the windows, and even then it wasn’t enough to really see. 

How long had he been here? It didn’t feel like he was standing for hours. He only made his way there after lunch hour. So it couldn’t have been that long. He cast a quick tempus and cursed. Eight whole hours of his time, wasted in front of a mirror, and for what? To see two people he swore he’d never met?

What good is a mirror that supposedly tells your heart’s desire anyways? It’s not like you’ll actually achieve whatever you see. He growls and throws the door open. He didn’t care if it was past curfew, he would take whatever detention they threw at him, not his fault a stupid mirror caught him in a weird trance. 

Who even were those people anyways? And why was that one guy so close? Stupid mirror trance bullshit. He hissed at one of the portraits who commented on his lateness. The portrait seemed to go white which made Harry smirk. A faint laugh from behind him made him pause. He whirled around just in time to see the twins sneaking up on him. 

“Is Ickle Harrykins out for a midnight stroll as well?” they asked in unison. Harry smiled at them before shaking his head lightly. He glanced around the hall to see the portraits all staring at him and cast a silencing charm around himself and the twins.

“No, I just had a strange encounter with a mirror, a mirror that sucks you into a trance.” he huffed. “Eight hours of my study time wasted.” The twins seemed amused at his priorities and patted him on the back.

“We have news from the big guy outside.” Fred said in a serious tone. Harry perked up and leaned in close. 

“Apparently the doggy is guarding the philosopher's stone.” George whispered. Harry blanched and pulled away. “Hagrid basically gave us the answer no problem.”

“Said that it had to do with Nicholas Flamel.” Fred confirmed. “And well, you know what he created.” Harry frowned. Who in their right mind would bring a stone like that to Hogwarts just to guard it?

“It used to be in Gringotts, but someone went in and grabbed it, the same day the bank was broken into.” The twins stared at him with concern as he bit his lip. Who else worked on that damn stone? Both he and Noct wracked his mind for any info he could think of. A memory of an entire month of lessons came to the forefront of his mind and Noct grabbed it before it could rush away.

“Dumbledore you old fool.” he hissed. “Bringing an object like that into the school is like asking for an assassin to kill yourself.” The twins stared at him in confusion but at this point Harry’s brain was on autopilot. He was too tired for this bullshit right now. “Oh yeah real smart, let’s bring a stone that grants immortality into a school full of children, great idea you bumbling old pillock.”

“Harry are you okay?” 

“Okay?” Harry wheezed. “Oh I’m great! Fan-fucking-tastic. Haven’t been sleeping well but I’m fine. Been feeling a weird empty pit in my heart, but oh yeah, I’m wonderful.” he laughs, curling in on himself. “You know, I just wanted a little bit of time of normalcy, two months of no crazy business. But obviously the fates hate me.”

“Aw don’t say that mate. The fates obviously love you.” Fred consoles, pulling him into a tight hug. George joines in and squishes Harry between them.

“Yeah if they hated you, then you wouldn’t have us.” Harry makes a whining noise in his throat and tries to push them away. They only seemed to laugh at his attempt and squeeze tighter. “Just kidding.” 

“Seriously though mate. You can talk to us-”

“We know a thing or two-”

“About feeling empty. And what we’ve learned-”

“Is that the emptiness will go away.-” 

“And Dumbledore?” Fred pipes up.

“Fuck that old coot. Who needs him?” George sneers.

“Honestly, everyone knows he’s completely barmy.”

“Yeah you can even ask Bill and Charlie.” 

“But let’s get you to bed first.” Fred offers, separating from the hug, then dragging them all the way to the Slytherin common room. They narrowly avoided Filch during his patrol. 

Harry didn’t even know how the twins knew the password, he really didn’t care either, he was way too tired to think. He doesn’t even remember falling into his bed and cuddling up in his blankets. The twins wrapped around him like two giant teddy bears. Both of them whispering quietly as he fell into the abyss of sleep.

* * *

  
  
  


Waking up snuggled between two redheads was an odd experience. Some, much older than Harry, might find it very appealing. But seeing as Harry is only just a child he felt rather squashed. They weren't crushing him per say, but his bubble was definitely popped. And he doesn't like his bubble being popped.

Carefully, he untangled himself from the mass of limbs. One of the twins stirred for only a second before mumbling sleepily. Harry slipped out of the room and peered into the common room. 

No one was there for the winter holidays but Harry often found Snape wandering about. Said man was setting down a small gift on the pile under Salazar’s portrait. He looked at the pile with confusion before his head snapped over to Harry. Harry’s face heated up and he scuffed the floor with his bare foot. 

Snape lifted a gift with an amused expression. “I dare say there are no Weasleys in Slytherin house.” he shook the gift as if expecting a prank. “I wonder why the elves would leave them here and not in their own common room.” 

Harry looked towards his own room. He was beginning to feel genuine embarrassment at the fact he was caught. He’s just glad the man didn't seem to care. The potioneer gave him a smirk and placed the gift back down. 

“Perhaps you could have gotten away with it had it not been for the gifts.” The dour man admitted. “I care not that you invited them in for a sleepover. I don't particularly dislike these specific gryffs. Just don't get caught again.”

“Yes sir.” Harry huffed in relief. “You’ll never even know they were here.”  _ because we have no plans to ever invite them intentionally. _ Harry snorted and rolled his eyes fondly. Snape raised a brow to which Harry pointed at his head. 

That was something Snape came to accept over time. Harry had a voice in his head, one that helped more than anything. Snape would sometimes hold the double back after class. He would quiz them on their knowledge before setting them loose. What he found was a very smart individual, one with their own thoughts. But they were also very similar to Harry. 

There was of course the immediate thought that they might try to take control of Harry. But Noct assured him that it simply wasn’t possible. Even if he tried intentionally. Noct simply didn’t want to separate himself from Harry. To him, it was his duty to protect Harry from harm, it's why he became sentient in the first place. 

The very thought of hurting Harry made Noct defensive. His red eyes would flash with barely contained rage as Snape asked the question. And much like Harry’s own, his magic was stifling, and so very dark. Not merely as eerie or cold but rather Hot and oppressive. Snape found himself nearly afraid of the being. Their magic was so familiar, similar in nature, to the dark lords. You could say it was exactly the same. 

But there was a difference. One that takes a moment to notice. The dark lord's magic felt empty. Like a vacuum that threatened to destroy everything as if it were a black hole. Noct’s felt complete, filled in by Harry’s magic, the eerie cold mixing with oppressive heat. 

Had the dark lord not destroyed himself in ways Snape couldn't even imagine, would his magic feel just as intense? If the man hadn’t become immortal would his power have grown just as strong? If this was how powerful Noct was then how strong was Harry? Because Snape knew, knew that Harry hid his full power, knew he refused to use it at its full extent. 

He wanted to know why, wanted to know how he could help, but he didn't want to push the boundaries of their fragile relationship. One that seemed more strained after every meeting he had with the old man. Something he loathed, because it meant something was happening to him, something that Dumbledore forced on him.

His head snapped to the side as Harry cleared his throat. “Sorry sir, I didn’t get a gift for you.” The apology was sincere. Something Harry exuded with clarity in most of his conversations. The boy rarely lies unless he needs to. So he knew the apology wasn’t said with malice. But a small part of him wanted to sneer at the boy. 

He pushed that urge down and offered a small smile instead. “That’s quite alright Potter. I don’t typically celebrate Christmas anyways.” Harry’s eyes lit up and he stared at the pile of presents with interest. “Filius asked me to drop something off as well.” Harry’s face fell for a split second and Snape reeled to backtrack his statement. “That isn’t to say I didn’t have a gift for you. But my gift isn’t something you can wrap.” 

“Oh! I- well i mean… you didn't have to get me anything sir.” Harry stammered with a small blush. “I don’t want you to feel obligated or anything. But I appreciate the sentiment.” 

Snape sighed in relief as the frown shifted into a tender smile. There was the sound of crashing from the rooms down the hall and Harry flinched. He watched the child turn his head towards his room slowly and wince as the twins came rushing out. 

They stumbled down the hallway with confused expressions as Harry sighed. Snape snorted as their gazes widened at the sight of him. He raised a brow at them and watched as they tried to duck behind Harry. Which really didn't work out as they were nearly twice the size of the small boy. 

“Well it seems you are quite busy Potter. Remember what I said the next time you do this.” he waves dispassionately towards the twins. “And don't make a mess if you would be so kind. I’ll see you later.” He turned around and swiftly exited the room through another large portrait. 

Harry stared at the portrait for a moment only to watch as it disappeared into the stone wall. “Wicked.” the twins exclaimed as one.  _ When the hell did they install that? _ Harry was wondering the same thing exactly. He narrowed his eyes and walked around the room. If there was one secret entrance then there had to be others. 

The twins also took to searching the room just to check out how different it was to their own. The sound of hissing caught his attention and a small divot in the wall opened up to reveal Regiis. Harry blinked in shock as the serpent slid out of the tunnel only to stare as if he’d been caught.

_ “What the fuck?” _ Harry looked between Regiis and the wall as if it was the most surprising thing in the world. Regiis hissed out explanations faster than Harry could process before shutting up abruptly as another more guttural hiss echoed from within the tunnel.

Harry clicked his teeth and pinched the bridge of his nose.  _ “What- what is it?”  _ he asks, gesturing to the tunnel with his other hand.  _ “And don't lie to me. Obviously it’s important enough if you thought hiding the information was the thing to do.”  _ Regiis looked between the tunnel and him for a few seconds before sighing.

_ “There’s a basilisk living in the chamber under the school.”  _ Harry’s brain stuttered to a stop. A basilisk? In the school? He blinked away the shock before slumping his shoulders and trudging over to the loveseat by the fireplace. 

“I can’t do this anymore.” he stated clearly. The twins stopped whatever they were doing and sat on either side of him. “I just wanted a few months of quiet time. But then I’m told the cerberus in the third floor corridor is guarding the philosopher’s stone.” he wheezes as George pats him on the back. “And now my own familiar tells me there’s a Basilisk living in a secret chamber under the school.”

The twins look at each other worridley then to the hole in the wall that was closing slowly behind Regiis. “What’s next? A werewolf is going to start teaching me Defense? Or better yet, how about a dragon making a nest on Ravenclaw tower.” The twins wrap an arm around him and pull themselves close. “I’m just a first year.” Harry trembled. “What the hell are people expecting me to do?”

“Nothing.” Fred concedes. “No one expects you to do anything.” 

“Yeah, no one is forcing you to deal with them.” George adds on. “You don't have to worry about a thing. Let the adults deal with it.” Harry allows them to snuggle close. It was soothing to know they had no expectations for him.

The twins were some of the only people he could really truly trust. They had no grand ideas of him. No pressing expectations that they wanted him to fulfill. They were just there for him. Not some savior or hero. Just Harry. And that, that was the best feeling in the world. 

He barely even noticed that Fred had left until he came back with a large duvet that dwarfed him as it was laid over his body. He dug himself out of the cover and found himself staring at a mug full of steaming hot chocolate. He was mildly surprised to see it until the familiar popping sound of the Hogwarts house elves filled his ears. 

George slid over to the pile of gifts and maneuvered them over to the seat with a grin. He Handed Harry and Fred their own gift before grabbing his own from the pile. Harry stared down at the gift before a smile overtook his face. Draco had sent him a gift. He hoped Draco enjoyed the one Harry sent him. 

He carefully opened the wrapping paper as the twins tore through their own and pulled out a pristine white box. He took the lid off and peered inside only to gasp softly. Inside was a small pendant of a snake. It was wrapped around itself in a figure eight and seemed to be mid hiss. The Snakes scales glittered a deep amethyst while its eyes were made of jade. Under the pendant was a rather thick book.

He gently lifted the pendant from within the box and added it to his necklace with the harpy eagle. He picked up the book and looked at the cover only to smirk. It was about the old traditions and how they were celebrated throughout time. Underneath the book was a note. Harry snatched it up and read through it with a snort.

**_“Dear Harry,_ **

**_I truly hope you like the pendant I’ve sent you. I was unsure of what to give you that you don’t already have. I know books would have been an obvious choice for most but it was my hope to stand out from the rest of our friends. I also contemplated sweets but I didn’t think it was meaningful enough._ **

**_So mother insisted I opt to make a friend charm. The snake pendant that you see is made from titanium, Amethyst and Jade. Don't even worry about the cost as this is a gift. Anyways the charm is connected to my own and will heat up if you or I ever feel lonely. It's in my best interest to never have mine heat up. Or yours for that matter. So you better plan on me sticking around for a while._ **

**_As for the book, a gift from my father, or at least that’s what he tells me. He’s very passive aggressive when it comes to you. Not sure why but whatever the reason is it will stop eventually._ **

**_Oh! I also got your gift earlier. I’m excited to see what it is. Stay out of trouble if you can and say hi to uncle Sev for me._ **

**_Your best mate,_ **

**_Draco._ **

**_Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy”_ **

Harry rolled his eyes at the letter and set his gifts down. He looked at the twins who were waggling their eyebrows at him. He smirked at them before grabbing the gift George was holding out. He looked down to see the twins’ familiar scrawl and grinned at them.

He tore through the paper and smiled brightly at the soft plush toy that tumbled into his lap. He picked it up and let out an amused huff. It was a panther with bright green eyes and a large grin. There were a pair of lopsided round glasses that were crudely-yet lovingly-sewn onto its head. A pink lightning bolt scar was embroidered into its forehead and Harry traced it with a timid hand. 

He stared at them with a trembling smile “You guys didn’t have to make this.” he mumbled. The twins scoffed as if offended.

“We did too have to make this.” George insisted, placing a fist over his heart. 

“As our best mate you deserve the finest of gifts even from ourselves.” Fred nodded along. 

Harry shoved Fred playfully and watched as the redhead tumbled to the floor as if shot. “Brother no! How could he have done this to you?” George cries, placing an arm over his eyes and turning away. “To break his heart by shoving away his affection. Do you have no shame?” 

Harry giggled lightly and watched Fred peeked his eyes open to look at him. The twin smiled and sat up only to yank his brother down. “If I’m dying you’re coming with me!” he shouts, pulling his brother into a chokehold.

“No Brother! Why have you forsaken me!” he screeches whilst flailing around in an attempt to escape. Fred squeezes tighter and wraps his leg around George’s torso. Harry watches George flop around for a minute before making a gagging sound and falling limp. Fred snorts and lets go of his brother only to shove his limp body off. 

Harry helps Fred back onto the love seat with a grin. “You guys are the best.” Fred's only response was a smug smile. Then George gasped and shot up off the floor.

“I’m alive!” he says, dramatically turning towards them. “And I have come to eat your souls!” Fred squeaks before jumping over the loveseat as his brother lunges for him. Harry ducks as George launches himself over the seat. He hears a girly scream and then a thump as the twins fall to the floor. 

There’s a creaking sound and boys’ heads snap up to see Snape peeking out from behind the portrait from earlier. “Please do not break anything. If you must roughhouse then do so outside.” he drawled. 

Harry scratched his head sheepishly as the twins stood up and saluted the dour professor. Snape snorted and closed the portrait once more. Harry let out a small sigh and reached for the small gift from Flitwick. He carefully unwrapped it and pulled out the slightly heavy object from its case. 

In his hands was a leather-bound journal. Engraved into the front were the letters “L, J, and E.” He twisted the journal to see if there was anything else on the book before flipping it open.  **_“Property of Lily Juniper Evans.”_ ** Harry’s eyes lit up and he flipped through the pages. Rows upon rows of his mother’s handwriting met his gaze as he took in the shape of the letters. He memorized every dot, swirl, and line that made up her handwriting. It was beautiful penmanship he had to admit. Everything was written clearly in a smooth pitch ink. 

He ran his hand across a page with a bird drawn on it. His mother was an artist too. He smiled softly at the journal before setting it down on the seat next to him. The twins had stopped watching him and were currently digging through their own gifts. He settled into his seat with a content smile and sipped on his hot chocolate. Today was a good day he thought. Despite all the strangeness of the castle, and the bad news he continued to receive, today was good. 

Suddenly a new gift appeared at his feet. He looked at it warily before lifting it onto his lap. There was no tag or letter attached. The twins looked over with curiosity and leaned in to have a look. Harry ran a hand over the gift, looking for anything that might be harmful. When he detected nothing bad he tore the gift wrap off and stared at the cloth.

It was familiar, so similar to his cloak, but instead of shadow it was physical cloth that could be touched. He unfurled the cloth and stood up. It was a cloak just like his, but it held little to no power, he wondered what exactly it did. He wrapped it around himself and to his surprise his body disappeared. The twins looked at him with shock in their eyes. 

“That’s an invisibility cloak!” Fred exclaimed. George nodded along. A piece of paper fluttered from one of the folds in the fabric and Harry bent down to pick it up.  **_“Your father left this for me to borrow. Now I am returning it to you.”_ ** Harry sneered at the paper as he noticed the distinct handwriting of Dumbledore. He’s seen enough of the man’s signature to know what it looks like.

“Who’s it from? Your face looks like you stepped in something nasty.” George gestured to his face with a disgusted look. 

Harry sighed and threw the note in the fire. “Albus too many stupid names Dumbledore obviously. No one else could make me look like that.” The twins seemed to agree as they nodded. Well now his perfect day was ruined. He looked at the cloak with a critical eye. It was so familiar to him, almost like he’d seen it before, but where? 

His magic pulsed as he lifted it again. His own cloak slipping out to cover him. The shadows in the room reached out to caress the cloak and Harry began to realize what he actually had in his hand. No wonder that damn thing felt familiar, it was made of the exact same thing his own was made of. Because it was also made by death. 

He held the invisibility cloak to his chest and watched the shadows twist the fabric between tendrils of magic. He had no need for the cloak for now. But maybe if he wanted to gather the Hallows later he could. For now he didn’t need it. 

“Here.” he tossed the cloak over to the twins. “Keep it for me. You need it more than I do.” his own cloak settled around himself and solidified. 

“What- but Harry this is an invisibility cloak.” George pointed out. Fred nodded eagerly. 

“Yeah! You could use it for so many things.” 

Harry snorted and waved them off. “No need, my own cloak can make me invisible too, plus more. Besides mine looks cooler.” he admitted while dipping into the shadows and disappearing from view. The twins looked around in awe as Harry moved about the room within the shadows. At one point he even found himself above them looking up at the floor below him. Huh he didn't know he could do that. 

“Whoa! Can you do that without shadows?” they asked eagerly as Harry revealed himself once more and took a seat. Harry hummed in thought.

“Well yes, but it’s harder to do. Bright rooms are harder to hide in than dark ones. But it is possible for me to go completely invisible in broad daylight if I must.” He hated the feeling of going invisible sometimes. Especially without the shadows to help hide him. It always felt like he was constantly being watched despite the fact he knew no one could see him. It just felt creepy. 

Harry and the twins didn't bother to leave the room all day. Not even when Snape told them the rest of the school was expecting them for dinner. Harry had shrugged and told the teacher he wanted to eat in the comfort of his own common room. Snape had given him a small smile at that and let him stay. And if Dumbledore was frowning the next day at breakfast? He denied ever knowing why. 


End file.
